


ichi-go ichi-e | Haikyuu!!

by mei (aidemint)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Anime, Gen, Gender Neutral, Heartwarming, Manga, Manga & Anime, Memory Loss, Mystery, Reader Insert, Slice of Life, haikyuu!! - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:48:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 25,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26465938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aidemint/pseuds/mei
Summary: Loss is quiet. Trust is a blind sport. Deafening roars of silence breach the peace that comes and goes. A story where a student loses their memory, and doesn't know what's reality.
Comments: 14
Kudos: 8





	1. Commencement

**ichi-go ichi-e:**

**one time, one meeting; one chance in a lifetime; "treasure every encounter, for it will never reoccur"**

**__**

**A couple of things before we start:**

1\. The reader's parents won't play much of a role in the novel. It may seem weird at times, but please bear with me -- the students' parts will be much bigger.

2\. You may notice that general maintenance in the hospital is a bit on the worse side, and things don't exactly play out too realistically, like how the doctor explains what happens, or going back to the clinic for post-amnesia checkups. It's all for the sake of plot, and I'm really sorry if it bothers/triggers you.

**Now that's out of the way,** **enjoy the novel! :)**

____

_All rights reserved_ © _2020 aidemint_


	2. Reset

_My arms flew in front of me. That was all I could see through my blurred vision._

_Then, darkness._

I woke up, startled. Though my eyes flew open the way that they usually did, and I was breathing with my heart beating against my rib cage, the pounding sensation of blood flowing through my veins yet again, my mind glazed over once I'd seen my surroundings.

_Where am I?_

I lifted a hand to touch my face and was met with an unfamiliar sensation. Gasping in surprise, I pulled away and stared in shock. How could it be unfamiliar? Why was it unfamiliar? A sense of vagueness clouded all of my rationality for a brief moment.

There wasn't anything left of me, it seemed.

Tilting my head downwards, I noticed that I was in a bed, with sensors on my arms, stuck on there by small plastic pads. The gel on them was cold, peeling off smoothly when I picked at the corner of one. There was a monitor slowly beeping on my side, the green line going up and down at the pace my heart was fluttering. Looking to my side, there was a small table with a plate of sliced fruit, and a note.

What happened? My hands patted down my whole body, confused as to where I was. Judging by the setting, I could only guess that I was in a hospital. No other place would have the equipment, I suppose. Sighing, I gingerly pulled the covers off of myself, peeled off all the gel pads, and slipped out of the hospital bed. Going over to the little table, I took the note placed next to the porcelain plate.

_**Please feel better soon! We miss you :(** _

_**\- Everyone** _

Quirking an eyebrow, I traced a finger over the word "everyone." Who were they? Why were they concerned about me? Glancing warily at the cut fruit sitting on the table, I decided against eating it, regardless of how hungry I was. What time was it, even?

I looked outside and was surprised to see that it was dark, the night sky turned a pitch-black with tiny pinpricks of stars peeking through the fog. A bright crescent moon shone overhead, and I was a little disappointed that I couldn't see it fully due to the high window and restricting, glaring LED lights the hospital installed. In the middle of all the junk in my head, a new question appeared:

Was there anybody waiting for me? My chapped lips pressed together, eager to get out of my room and into another place. Quickly putting on a jacket and pants, I pulled at my sleeves on the way out, determined to find the waiting room closest to here. As I turned the doorknob and creaked open the door, a lady in regular clothing passed, her sweater fluttering gently behind her with every step she took. I assumed she was either the wife or mother of a patient being held in this hospital. Wanting to ask her for directions, I tried to call for her.

"E-Excuse me, ma'am!" I called, my voice hoarse. I stopped in embarrassment, clearing my throat violently, trying to get the inconsistency out. The lady turned to me, eyes wide in concern. Silently cursing at myself, I wanted to crawl into a little hole and wither away right then and there. She approached me with a sentimental sparkle in her eye.

"Are you alright?" she asked sweetly, patting my back, "Do you need water, honey?" I shook my head, holding up a finger. Once my fit was over, I took in a deep breath, smiling sheepishly. With a gentle grin, the woman patiently waited for me to regain my composure.

"Do you know where the waiting room is, ma'am?" The lady beamed back, pointing to a wing labeled "waiting room." My cheeks flushed in embarrassment as I bowed and scurried off to the place. Of course I'm the only one in the hospital who doesn't know where to go -- she wasn't even a nurse.

Turning a corner, I reached the door and slipped through the flapping barriers, looking around to try and spot a familiar face. None of them seemed like someone I knew, that's weird. My gaze landed upon five guys, two of which were staring straight at me, mouths agape. The other three were peacefully knocked out on the waiting room chairs.

"(L/N)!" That name didn't ring a bell, so it probably wasn't me. The two guys shook their three other friends awake and excitedly pointed in my direction. I looked behind me, seeing if there was anyone coming to the waiting room. No one appeared, and I just got more and more confused. Why were they pointing to me? I didn't know them.

There was an orange-haired one that bounded up to me, his grin almost peeling off of his face at the sheer magnitudeof it. Stammering, I raised both of my hands, trying to calm him down. He was looking for (L/N), right?

"S-Sorry kid, do you need help finding your friend or something?" Now it was the boy's turn to look confused.

"Wait, what?" This was getting awkward. I scratched the nape of my neck and tilted my head slightly, giving a sympathetic smile.

"I-I don't know where your friend is -- (L/N), or whatever their name was."

"(L/N), what? You're joking, right? Is this a prank?"

"What- kid, seriously. You have the wrong person. I don't know a (L/N)-"

" _You're_ (L/N)."

"What?" I scoffed, clearly in denial, "I'm not (L/N). I'm-" Silence overtook my thoughts as I tried to think of a response. What was my name? I shook my head and opened my mouth again, sure that the words would just fly right out. They never came, and I closed my jaw with defeat. I looked at the ground in bewilderment, trembling with dread.

Who was I?

"(L/N), are you sure you're supposed to be out of bed?" the carrot-top said softly, placing his hand on my shoulder. I shook it off, my eyebrows furrowed and pupils dilated, shrinking in size as I saw the four other guys come over. Who were they?

"Hinata, what's wrong?" There was a bald guy who stared at the shorter ginger for a moment, then looked at me. Shivers ran down my spine as his eyes seemed to cut through my skull. His eyes were menacing, demanding , even. To my surprise, that glare changed into something softer after a few seconds.

"(Y/N), are you alright? You look kind of pale." (Y/N) (L/N)?

Who was that?

"For the last time, I'm not the friend you're looking for," I stammered, feeling slightly terrified of the large group. The black-haired guy next to the baldie raised an eyebrow and tilted his head in confusion.

"(L/N), this better not be some kind of joke. We're your... friends, right?" Stumbling over my words, I couldn't even get a full sentence out without messing up somewhere in between the first and the last word.

"I-I don't-"

"You're not serious, right? (Y/N), we waited all night for you." There was the spiky-haired guy who spoke next, a displeased expression crossing his bold features. "I even took the train here. Kenma already went this week, and he has an English test on Monday." A surge of panic rushed through my body. What happened? How and why did I end up here? Who were they? I felt my throat closing up as my breathing started to get heavier, my heart hammering against my rib cage.

"Give them some space." A different voice broke through the jumbling of thoughts coursing through my brain. The boys backed away as somebody else stepped forwards. Tears brimmed the edges of my eyes as my hands clenched and my teeth tugged at my bottom lip at an attempt to stifle a sob of disarray. I was so confused.

"Are you okay?" My irises flickered up at the new figure, a tall, strong guy with a strict yet relaxed expression. His build was solid, and out of all the boys there, he was the tallest by far. He wore a jersey that said something in tiny letters, and I had to squint to read it.

"Shiratorizawa Academy?" The male in front of me hummed, nodding and pointing to the words.

"Yeah, that's my school."

"That's a cool name." He blinked, a satisfied smile tugging at his lips for a millisecond -- but it went away as fast as it came. His head suddenly turned, looking at a clock hung on the wall.

"It's getting a bit late, so why don't we clear everything up first with the doctor, then get you out of here and pick up some food?" I looked at the rest of the group, who, judging by their expressions, didn't seem to mind. They seemed almost relieved to get me out of the hospital.

"Okay."


	3. New Old Friends

So here we were, biking down the neighborhood, the steam of our breaths tampering with the still night's air. After arriving at our destination, all of us sat underneath a street lamp, moths buzzing overhead as they touched the bud of the light over and over again, attracted to the glow. My lips pressed together in worry, still uncertain of whether I could trust these guys or not. At the hospital, my identity had already been confirmed, and I was told of my condition. They said that these were my friends who came to check up on me to see how I was holding up.

Apparently I'd been in the ward for a couple of days, in a coma. There were others, as mentioned before, but they'd left, as the people that were waiting for me took shifts to see if I awoke or not. Currently, their bikes were parked on the outside of some shop, and the orange-haired shortie went up to the door and knocked on it.

A few moments passed before the barrier slid open, revealing a very unhappy looking blonde guy with black roots and tan skin. His jaw was clenched in a growl, fingers curled while twitching a bit. He looked older than the students, probably a middle-aged adult by now. My eyes checked out his features, trying to see if I knew him from somewhere.

"Why are you here now? Don't you know how late it is, Hinata?" he shouted, mouth angrily gnashing up and down.

"(L)-(L/N)'s here!" the ginger blurted out, looking up at him with furrowed eyebrows and a brave expression plastered onto his features, an index finger pointed towards me. The young adult turned his head to look, and in a split-second, the previously tensed-up muscles loosened and his jaw fell slack, mouth dropping open slightly.

"We waited and they woke up!" With those words, the two guys slowly made their way to the spot in front of me, pupils glued onto me like some sort of ancient relic. Needless to say, I felt mildly uncomfortable with the fact that complete strangers were ogling me.

"(Y/N)," the blonde breathed, wisps of his breath showing up in the atmosphere. I managed a small but dislocated smile, the sides of my mouth tipping up unevenly. Getting a closer look at his face, I began to notice the small details that lined his skin, the wrinkles that had begun to form, his tired eyes, and the split ends his hair spread into, presumably from dyeing it so much.

"Do I know you?" I murmured, gently speaking at a low voice, "Like how I knew them?" The man in front of me shook his head in disbelief, his eyes shrinking a bit, holding back a wince.

"What happened?" I shrugged, looking down at the ground, slowly shuffling my feet and twiddling with my thumbs. A big fog of condensation appeared in the night's air, the hot puff of air dissipating into the contrasting temperature. The moths overhead flew into the light, pushing against the hot bulb, a futile attempt to reach their long-awaited destiny -- only pulling themselves closer to the clammy hands of death.

"I wish I knew."

__

_"It says here," the doctor rumbled, flipping the pages of a clipboard, eyes glancing over the contents, "that you've been diagnosed with retrograde amnesia." My leg stopped bouncing, foot resting flat on the floor as the room was overtaken by silence. What else could have explained how I couldn't have recognized the people waiting for me?_

_"These are your friends. They've been waiting for you for a long time now, (Y/N)." My dull eyes met those of the five guys, who gave me nothing but pitying smiles and sad glances. I tore my view away from them, returning to talking with the doctor. Not knowing what the term meant, I vouched for a stupid question:_

_"Is it permanent?" I asked, desperately needing an answer, "Can I remember?" The nurse standing beside him looked at him, and they both exchanged expressions. My heart dropped when I saw them do so -- knowing that the chance would be none._

_"Sweetheart, we took brain scans after you got hurt. Your hippocampus is damaged in both halves of your brain." The nurse placed a soft hand on my back, her voice soothing to my ears. "I'm sorry." My tongue seemed to swallow my words, forcing them down my throat, choking on the painfulness of reality. I wanted to cry, but no tears came out. My heart didn't even ache, and my mind was as clear as a cloudless blue sky on a sunny day. There was no disarray of emotions, or the gut-wrenching sobs and flows of tears that poured out from my eyes._

_Just silence._

_Deafening silence._

_It remained that way for what seemed like the crushing time of forever, whatever that was._

_There was a bit of scuffling around before murmurs were heard from beside me, breaking the tension. The doctor was handing release forms to my friends and letting them know the procedures. A minute or two passed until everyone left my room, handing over the artificial lighting to me and letting my presence go. It was best to let me take it in alone. Not looking up once, I observed that the door seemed to hold its place for a second. After that, it shut noiselessly as the forgotten figures wandered out._

_Amnesia wasn't a good thing, everybody knew that. But the worst part was that you didn't know who to trust anymore -- you couldn't rely on anybody, the people that you'd known since years ago -- simply because you didn't have those memories anymore. Like a fine sketch, those marks were erased with the impact, the accident. Your life, the thing you've been holding onto for the time you're here on Earth, was just suddenly snatched away by the unforgiving arms of some monster._

_The experiences, the joy, the sadness, the sheer and utter feeling to be there was just wiped away with the rushing riptide of an accident. It felt like my purpose was washed away -- that I had nothing to hold onto, not even the tiniest sliver of imagination. What happened before, what caused this to be such a mess?_

_Could I find myself again? If my friends loved me for who I was before, would they still love me now? Were they willing to? What if I had changed and become a completely different person? Would they abandon me? How could I be sure that I was the same person that they knew?_

_Yet there still was this bleeding hope that if I tried hard enough, someone would give me my life back._ _I wanted to bang my head against the walls and cry out to some entity to return my stolen memories, to return to me that person I was -- who had a life, who had the support of 'everyone.' Now I just was there, a lonely figure in the ward, a_ _clueless nobody,_ _with that plate of fruit still remaining uneaten, the edges of the sustenance beginning to brown._

_If I screamed, my lungs would collapse. If I cried, my eyes would dry out and deflate. If I moved anything, my muscles would come undone and fall like ribbons onto the floor._

_I had no appetite, and just laid my chin on the bed and waited for the group to get back and pick me up like the hopeless, empty case I was._


	4. Insight

Back to the present, where the blonde man stood and gawked at me while my bleary eyes stared straight at the floor beneath my feet. I wanted so badly to pass through the ground and sink into the concrete at that moment. There was so much attention focused solely on me, and I didn't know why.

Who was I to them?

How did I become that someone?

"Come inside. It's cold." The older man led us into his little shop, the lights still on inside. He got some meat buns out of the freezer and started to heat them up in a small oven. I timidly sat on one of the chairs, still trying to remember something, anything that gave me a glimpse at my past. I could almost feel the gazes of the five boys bear into my skin from beside me, and I tried to avoid eye contact with them, shielding my face with a discreet hand.

The hum of the oven overtook the brooding setting, a serene yet gloomy feel to everything. I could tell that they were obviously distraught by my lack of communication, but what else was I supposed to do? I don't remember them, and I was struggling with an identity crisis. But regardless, they were the ones who had gotten me out of the hospital and into here -- whatever this shop was. It felt homey, in an odd way. I should be polite.

"So-" I finally spoke, and with those words the heads of the figures in front of me turned, eyes attentive and willing to listen. Sparkles seemed to fly in their irises, gazes practically pleading me to say something, anything. They really did care.

I bit back a thought before I could get ahead of myself.

Or maybe not me, but (Y/N) -- the person who I was before all of this happened. The words seemed to slip down my throat, bubbling in defeat in the depths of my abdomen. Why did they have to vanish at the most crucial moments? I only uttered noises that sounded like I was being choked -- like I was trying to salvage my broken mother tongue.

"You don't need to speak if you don't want to," the black-haired guy said, thoughtfully gazing at me, his face lit up with animation. "We don't want to make you feel uncomfortable or anything. Take your time." I nodded slowly, slightly embarrassed that I wasn't able to communicate properly.

"Sorry." My hands curled in my lap, pulling at the fabric of my pants, face most likely tinted a light shade of pink. Sighing, I blew out a shaky breath and calmed down, reassuring myself that they were only here to help.

"I never got to know your names." Watching as the boys suddenly stopped, then practically smacked their own foreheads in complete realization, I shrunk backwards in surprise, not expecting such a bold reaction. They must've forgotten to introduce themselves, since I'd previously known them for such a long time.

"Sorry about that!" the bald one yelled, nearly hitting his chin on the table. "We'll introduce ourselves now! I'm Tanaka Ryunosuke!" He pointed towards the orange-haired guy sitting on his right, a simple gesture to get him to say his name.

"Hinata Shoyo!" One by one, all of them, including the blonde who owned the store re-introduced themselves to me.

"Kageyama Tobio."

"Ushijima Wakatoshi."

"Kuroo Tetsuro."

"Ukai Keishin. You used to call me Coach Ukai." I bowed my head in gratefulness, happy to finally know the names of the familiar strangers that I once shared lives with. As if on cue, the meat buns in the oven were ready, a loud 'ding' of the timer sounding off. Hearing Kuroo's stomach growl, I laughed a little bit, also ready to eat. So once the coach had brought in the steaming buns, we wordlessly grabbed them and immediately stuffed our faces.

They were good -- extremely so. The savory flavor of the spices and meats jam-packed into the fluffy bun complemented the sweet taste of pickled and chopped vegetables that provided a slight cleanse for the palette. My nose was also equally enjoying the moment, the scent that wafted into my nostrils like heaven just waiting to explode. The taste hit close to home, and I didn't know why. It felt like nostalgia had just hit my insides, causing them to churn and twist with an unsettling feeling, like this was something I'd missed.

The emotions weren't enough to bring me to tears, however. I was close and started to sniffle a little, but not nearing the crying stage just yet. I just sat there and ate, not knowing what brought me to this state.

"They were your favorites," Ukai murmured, glancing at my dewy eyes, "I thought you might like 'em." Nodding, I finished my last bun, stomach satisfying full. Everyone had already cleaned the bag, not a single bao left in sight.

"Those were really good, do you get them from a store or something?" Kuroo commented, using the back of his hand to wipe his dirty mouth. Ukai glared at him, angrily snatching the bag off of the table.

" _I_ make them, you twerp." The blackette nodded slowly with a sly grin, unfazed by the blonde's snapping comeback. A smile crept onto my face as I overheard the banter, feeling the mood in the room lighten up a little. We were getting more and more comfortable with each other, despite being in such a complicated situation. Though, I still had a few more questions.

"Do all of us go to Shiratorizawa?" I asked suddenly, interrupting the small argument that had brewed. Hinata and Kageyama spit and started to cough, while Kuroo just stared at me with an amused expression while chuckling. Tanaka burst into cackles, trying to stifle the ruckus with his hand. Cocking an eyebrow, I looked around the room curiously.

"Did I say something wrong?" Wakatoshi groaned at the spectacle but continued to speak.

"No, you didn't," Ushijima corrected, shaking his head lightly, "I'm the only one from Shiratorizawa. You could probably go as well, but not them. Not them." A small hum of wonder spouted from the base of my throat, reverberating out onto the roof of my mouth.

"Why not? It's just a school, right?" Kuroo and Tanaka both started to laugh hard at the comment, their mouths wide open and arms wrapped around their stomachs, howling. Breaths came out in convulsing "ha's" as they ridiculed the other student. Maybe Shiratorizawa was an elite school, or something. It did say "academy" on the back.

"Did you hear that?" the baldie whooped, "(Y/N) just said you're average!" Panicking, I waved my hands in the air, denying the accusation. I didn't want to get looped into a quarrel, not this early into my recovery.

"N-No! I never said that he was average!"

"Average boy!" Kuroo joined in, snickering at the pissed off brunette, "Lefty average boy!" Wakatoshi just sighed, squeezing his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose. I looked at Hinata, who just sat, staring at the show, a bit flustered. We exchanged looks of worry, whipping our heads back and forth, to each other, then the scene that was unfolding.

"I only came here to see if (Y/N) was alright, not to be made fun of by weaklings." Weaklings? I intercepted immediately, displeased with the lack of friendship at hand.

"Ushijima, why did you call them weaklings? Isn't that a bit mean? Do you all hate each other or something?" Again, his face showed that tiny bite of emotion I'd seen earlier, when I pointed out his jersey. He raised his head to look at me, but my attention was grabbed when the small tuft of orange hair spoke.

"No, we don't _hate_ each other," Hinata butted in, nervously scratching his cheek, "we're all just rivals of some kind." His eyes passed Wakatoshi with a glint I'd never seen before -- or at least I never remembered. Ushijima glared back with the same intensity. This was something I needed to know more about. But that was besides the point.

At this moment, the atmosphere had settled down, where the group just looked at each other, no clear emotion written on their faces.

"So... what do you mean by rivals?" I finally said, mustering all my courage to break the silence. When nobody said anything, Ukai jumped to speak, voice boldly resonating within the tiny shop. 

"They all play volleyball on different school teams."


	5. Volleyball

Ukai pointed to Hinata, Kageyama, and Tanaka first, saying the high school names in accordance to the players.

"These three go to Karasuno."

"Nekoma."

"Shiratorizawa."

It made sense, somehow. I glanced at all of their hands, noticing the callouses that adorned them, the bruises on their forearms and legs. Even as they moved, every step and every muscle contraction seemed planned, organized somehow. It was odd, how every one of them seemed to know each other so well, despite being rivals and disliking each other. There was a link -- what I presumed to be the love of the sport.

In response of the blonde's bold statement, my mouth formed into a little "o" shape, blowing air of out it, a small whistle shakily taking form. My hands folded in my lap, thumbs gently wrestling with each other, my mind drawing a furtive blank, hoping that something to say would pop up.

"Is volleyball any fun?" I finally blurted out, desperate for anything to keep the conversation going, avoiding making it awkward for all of us. The boys looked at each other, their faces still positioned the same, the air of pride floating around their heads, not wanting to be the first to break the facade. The tension hung in the air until all of them gave up at the same time, nearly springing to their feet to yell about how great the sport was.

"It's amazing! Fun is an understatement!" Hinata shouted, eyes glimmering with excitement.

"When the ball hits your hand just right, it's an incredible feeling!"

"And when you block a ball, oh that's so great! You get to anticipate the spiker's disappointment and the exhilaration of your team-"

"Winning can also give you a good rush of adrenaline." A bit overwhelmed, I leaned back in my chair, slightly regretting asking such a bold question. The group continued to spout praises and verses of adoration towards the sport, and it made me wonder what it truly meant to them. Volleyball didn't really seem special to me now, but before I lost my memory, I still fantasize about how it made _me_ feel. Was I as passionate as them?

"Say," I interrupted, tilting my head slightly, "did I like volleyball as much as you guys?" The five of them looked at each other, then to Ukai, then back at me, no response forming at the moment.

"Well... you were always there for us. I think that's what mattered -- not that you played, or that you liked hitting the ball -- that you really were behind us, regardless of what we did." The words hung in the air, weaving themselves into the mood of the room. A sensation of someone lightly tugging at my heartstrings pulled at my chest, making my stomach drop. I felt weightless, like someone had picked me up onto Cloud 9.

"Was I important to you?" I murmured, feeling like the question was a bit selfish. Tanaka blew air out of his nose, lips curling into a sentimental smile.

"Yeah, duh."

"He speaks for all of us!" Hinata continued, happily beaming at me. I bowed my head in gratefulness, unable to properly express how I felt in words. My shoulders trembled a little, shivering under their gazes, breaths clogged in my windpipe. The only words I could think of were released in a little gasp, let out with a couple of tears that had finally fallen. Droplets of glistening water quietly dripped onto my lap, after trickling down my rosy cheeks.

"Thank you."

__

_ur coming to school today, right?_

I woke up to a text message from Hinata, my phone sounding with a ding. With tired limbs, I lazily fluttered my hand around, trying to grab at the device. When my fingers reached it, they wrapped around the cold metal and pulled it towards me so I could type a reply. It had been a few days since I was let out of the hospital, enough time to fully recover, and Hinata was planning on meeting me at my house to escort me to school. I figured it was him texting, since in the profile, there was a picture of him smiling. Though I didn't know much about his contact name, which read "jail uniform."

_**ya, but i still don't know where lol** _

_o right sorry! you go to Karasuno_

_**oh, okay thanks :)** _

_no prob, and I'll introduce you again to the guys._

There were more of them? I was incredulous, furiously slamming my fingers against the keypad.

_**there are more of you????** _

_haha, yup! they really miss you too :(_

**_how nice of them_ **

_everyone is really worried :0_

_**jdfhskjhfdkjh don't be wth** _

A small laugh slipped out of my mouth as I kept writing to him.

**_i can't wait :)_ **

_before, i never imagined you would say that lolol_

I winced at the comment, nervous that I was already on the wrong path to becoming a different person than I was before. My eyes desperately gazed at the text, seeing the inevitably unchanging words of Hinata. There was nothing I could do about it, however, as I couldn't revoke a message. Sighing in defeat, I slowly typed out a final statement before setting my phone down and going to get ready.

**_haha, i gotta get ready, see u later_ **

Meandering around my room after doing my "morning bathroom ritual," using the various products I saw and slapped on my face, I found my closet. Pulling open the door, I looked around and recognized none of it. Confused and stressed, I somehow managed to find a uniform that looked like it would fit me. After putting everything on, I checked the time. There were still a couple minutes for me to eat, and then Hinata and I would bike to school. I ran downstairs and fixed myself something.

A knock on the door sounded as I finished up my meal, bringing me to pick up my bag and unlock the door, seeing a familiar face. The tension building inside my head was alleviated upon meeting him.

"(L/N)!" the orange-headed boy cheerily said, "Good morning!"

"Hey, Hinata." I waved, taking out my bike and boarding it, my bag slung comfortably across my back. "Good morning to you too." His pale blue bike wasn't very flashy in the cool morning light, but it stood out enough to divert my attention from his face for a moment. The trees seemed to sing around us, the only other sound was the rolling of our tires on the road, crunching tiny rocks beneath them.

"So where is Karasuno?" I piped up, my voice projecting towards the boy in front of me.

"The building up ahead is our school, so... close!" He chuckled at little jest, riding even faster to get there. I scrambled to catch up while complaining, not expecting the sudden jolt in pace. My feet rounded in circles, propelling the man-driven vehicle to the front of the school. Once we got there, I was panting and my legs were about to give in. Meanwhile, Hinata showed no signs of fatigue and remained energetic, bounding towards the building. How much stamina did this guy have?

"Hinata..." I wheezed, taking in deep and fast breaths of air, "Please... wait-" The ginger wheeled around, eyes wide and sympathetic.

"Oh! Sorry (L/N)! It's been a while since we've ridden together, so I forgot." He sheepishly grinned, jogging back to me. I waved a hand around, carelessly dismissing it.

"It's okay, I'm alright. Just a bit winded, that's all." He nervously waited, patting my back awkwardly as I regained my composure. A few students passed us, looking at the scene playing right in front of them. My already pink cheeks flushed in embarrassment, not wanting to draw any extra attention.

"Alright, I'm okay now." Given the signal, Hinata perked up, practically skipping towards the school's entrance with me in tow. I stumbled along with him, half-running, my knees locked and bag now thumping against my chest with every bounce. My free hand turned to holding it in place while the carrot-top pulled me.

"Let's go meet the second years, c'mon!"


	6. The Second Years

My feet were aching, our running finally halting as we reached the second-year classrooms. Hinata was talking about how great the team was, and how I used to have so much fun, but all of the words fell upon deaf ears. They were shut down as I felt multitudes of eyes staring at me, mouths moving in whispers, hushed murmurs. Were they talking about me, and how I'd been gone? Truly, I felt out of place. I was scared, mostly, with unfamiliar people completely surrounding me, looking my way.

It didn't take long before I felt too uncomfortable, furrowing my eyebrows and trying to hide my gaze behind a hand, just trusting that Hinata wouldn't lead me into a wall. My ears picked up the sound of a door opening, the sliding indicating that I was being pulled into a classroom -- presumably mine. Finally, after a few moments of stillness, I lifted my head and cast my gaze upon the sight in front of me.

There stood Tanaka, whose face morphed into one of sheer relief and joy upon seeing me again. I held the same emotions, and rushed to my friend, dragging poor Hinata along. Next to him was a middle-schooler. I didn't know how he got into the high school, but maybe he was one of those really gifted kids. Hinata's hand was still clasped around my wrist, tightly holding it while speaking to me.

"(L/N), these are your friends, Tanaka, who you already know, and Nishinoya!" I repeated the names in my head a couple of times, trying to make sure that I didn't embarrass myself later and forget. Bowing slightly, I greeted the two formally by their surnames. When I looked back up again, their expressions showed confusion and a certain degree of squeamishness. Were they not comfortable with my introduction?

'Nishinoya' seemed to notice my quirked eyebrow and tried to quickly explain their reactions.

"We're just not used to you calling us by our last names, that's all," he responded quickly, waving his hands in the air, "You don't have to be so formal, (Y/N)." That was a relief. I restored my normal standing posture and looked back at the pair, analyzing their dynamic together.

"Why are you friends with a middle-schooler?" I blurted out, not expecting that the smaller guy was anything _but_ a middle-schooler. The baldie suddenly exploded into laughter, ridiculing his tiny friend. The boy with the blonde puff of hair angrily started smacking him, shouting and causing a ruckus, obviously embarrassed. Meanwhile, I didn't realize what I had said wrong and just stood there idly as Hinata and Tanaka cackled, tears nearly coming out of their eyes.

"I told you! You look like a little kid! If (Y/N) could say it when meeting you two different times, it's gotta be true!"

"Shut up, you big lug!" I then realized that Nishinoya was in fact, _not_ a middle-schooler, but a high-schooler that was just vertically challenged. Covering my open mouth with one hand, I internally screamed at myself for making such a big mistake.

"I'm so sorry," I said, coughing in between words as I silently gasped for air, "I didn't mean to offend you-" To my complete surprise, Nishinoya just chuckled a little, patting my back. I didn't really know how to take it, so I just planted a tight, closed-lip smile on my face and waited, eyebrows furrowed.

"It's okay. I'll buy you an ice cream after practice." I nearly spit everywhere, taken aback by the kind offer.

"You really don't have to, it was my fault-" He waved his hand around, blowing air out of his mouth through spread lips.

"Consider it as a 'welcome back' gift," he said cheekily, grinning. I stayed silent, a quiet grace brushing over my features. Now overlooking my harsh comment from before, we all chatted a bit before the warning bell rang, signaling that it was three minutes before the start of class. Hinata yelped and immediately took off after saying goodbye, stranding me in the middle of class. The ginger was my life-line, and without him I had almost nobody I knew well. Panicking, I nervously looked at the two second-years in front of me.

"Am I in this class?" I asked, pointing downwards, "Or in another one?" Tanaka hit his head with his palm, eyes widening a bit.

"Oh right, you forgot. Here, I'll guide you to your class." He took me outside, nearly dragging me by my arm into the classroom 2-1. On our way there, he received questioning glances from the students filing into the room, to which he either ignored and glared at.

"You're really smart, so you're in the advanced course," he murmured, giving an explanation to the stares he got, "Nishinoya and I always come to your place to study when we need help. Ennoshita, Kinoshita, and Narita are other friends of ours, and you tutor them as well." It made me feel happy knowing that I was able to help them somehow, though it didn't really ease the surprise I felt.

"Oh, really?" The baldie laughed and gently pushed me inside the classroom, quickly looking at the clock to see how much time he had left. He pointed to an empty seat, motioning for me to sit.

"Yeah! Sorry I can't talk to you more, but let's meet after school, and I'll introduce you to everyone! After practice, we'll go out for snacks." Giving him a thumbs-up, the tips of my mouth curled upwards, a warm feeling spreading across my face. Tanaka then promptly left, evading the horde of students filing into the room. I sighed and leaned back in my chair, my back resting against the wooden board.

It was nice to be embraced by such a positive environment again. I was lucky to have them as friends in the past, and I wanted to do whatever I could to retain that relationship with all of them.

But I was nervous. What if I screwed it up? What if I did something that made them not want to be my friends anymore? Just how strong was our relationship before, and how important was I to them? Despite recovering, I still can't get the thoughts out of my head.

There was this idle paranoia still set in my mind. From what everybody was telling me, I was a big part of their lives, yet somehow I still can't believe it. I didn't know how I was, since I didn't remember any memories with them. My past had been completely washed away, and that took away who I was in the process.

Without my memories, what was I? Just a shell that could be filled with anything, or maybe something that could be discarded. This person that people thought I was, could I still live up to that despite not knowing what they stood for, who they were? It frustrated me to know that everything was yanked away, and I didn't even know how. 

Who was (Y/N) (L/N)? What was my identity among the mobs of students here? I feel lost, like this fossil of me had been kept with my friends, something that they cherished and held close to their hearts. Even though it was me, I didn't know what I was like before.

In the past, did I learn to cherish the memories I made with them? Did I love them with every ounce of my being? Or did I take them for granted? Was I so stupid to think that there were people like them anywhere else?

I desperately wanted to remember.


	7. Karasuno's Team

The school day passed over quickly. There were moments of awkwardness, in which teachers and classmates had asked me what happened, and I had to explain the situation, but I was mainly focused on the club after school. What kind of people would I meet? Were they kind and welcoming, just as the others had been, or would they view me differently, seeing that my memories had disappeared?

My foot bounced in anticipation, eyes urgently scanning over the clock to see the ticking hands move ever so slowly, counting away the last few golden minutes of class left. Finally, as the long hand struck twelve, the school bell rang and the teacher dismissed class. I hurriedly packed my bags and got out of my phone, fumbling for the device in my pocket and quickly texted Tanaka that I was on my way to his and Nishinoya's classroom.

Waiting by the door, I peered over the heads of the other students exiting the room, skimming over the crowd for the noticeable baldie. Finally spotting him, I smiled and waved, jumping up to get a good view.

"Tanaka! Nishinoya! I'm over here!" The two eventually found me in the midst of all the departing students, meandering over to my destination.

"(Y/N), you can just call us Ryuu and Yuu, you know. It's not weird for you to call us by our first names -- we're used to it," Tanaka commented, linking my arm with his, a big grin slapped on his face, "We're basically childhood friends, after all."

"Oh, okay!" I responded, pleased by the idea, barely noticing how Nishinoya linked onto my other arm, the three of us forming a big chain as we paraded down the school's hallways on our way to the gym. With a bit of walking and chatting about how our classes were going, a question popped up.

"So what do you guys do in volleyball, and do I have a role in it?" Yuu immediately replied without hesitation, as if he knew the answer by heart.

"In volleyball practice, we drill and play practice matches. You're kinda like one of the unofficial managers for the volleyball team, since the club can only have two. Coach Ukai always lets you help throw balls and pick up though, and says that extra help is always appreciated. You're a great part of the club and we let you come to away games and tournaments too!" Humming in understanding, I slowly nodded my head as we arrived, the trip briefer than expected. The gymnasium in which they practiced was quite large, seeming a little but intimidating at first with its exterior.

Nishinoya unlocked arms with me to push open the metal doors, revealing the inside of the practice space. As if on cue, a ball came flying out of nowhere, just barely missing my face in the process of passing by. I didn't have time to react, and just stood still as it flew past me, eyes widened in shock. My mouth popped open, hands beginning to shake from the sudden spike of adrenaline that shot through my veins.

"Holy crap," I whispered, feeling faint. I heard the slams of volleyballs stop from inside, replaced by the noise of thundering footsteps all rushing towards me.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to almost hit you!" Hinata worriedly poked his head out, a pleading expression slapped onto his face. I nervously laughed it off, waving my hand around, saying that it was fine. The orange shortie whined some more, complaining that he'd owe me something, at least.

"But (Y/N)," he moaned, a frown dropping the corners of his lips, "I almost hit you-" Suddenly, a couple more heads popped out of the gym, their faces ones I've never seen before. Some of them looked a bit older, and some of them looked young, but they towered over me.

"(Y/N)?" There was a short-haired brunette that glanced at me with dinner-plate sized eyes. "Is that really you?" I stammered, caught off guard by the weird question. The rest of them awaited my response.

"Y-Yeah? I guess so? I don't really know, but I think?" I replied, a slight lilt to my voice, "Are you guys the Karasuno volleyball team?" Before I got a verbal response, I was immediately tackled with a hug from the same guy who'd asked the question. The wind was partially knocked out of my lungs, a surprised gasp erupting from the back of my throat, but I returned the embrace as a gesture of courtesy. More of the boys started to pile on, squishing me in the middle of an extremely messy human sandwich. Through the mounds of heads blocking my view, I managed to get a glimpse of Coach Ukai, who leaned on the door frame, smiling at the sight.

Another teacher stood next to him, tears brimming his bright eyes hidden behind glasses. Two girls also accompanied them, the same happy expression making their faces glow. It was nice, but could've been nicer if the guys weren't so strong. They were practically compressing me into a slice of bologna.

"G-Guys, I can't breathe," I choked out, finally feeling my lungs starting to cave in. The team let go, mumbling apologies hurriedly, giving me some personal space. I sighed a breath of relief and took a few gulps of air in before facing all of them.

"It's nice to meet you guys again!" I greeted, waving with both of my hands. They all waved back, a blissful expression adorning their features, the mood of the room only lifting. Clasping my hands together, I addressed the situation, taking into account that I'd been missing for quite some time.

"So, I'm sure you all know the situation," I said sheepishly, nervously chuckling, "I hope that doesn't affect our relationship together, and I maybe we can be back to normal. I'm also looking forwards to making new memories with all of you, ones that I'm going to try to not lose." A small wave of laughter rippled through the crowd, the boys staring at me fondly.

"Why don't we... start off with names, then?" I suggested, looking at everyone. They glanced at each other and nodded, starting off with the people on my left.

"Daichi Sawamura, third year. I'm the captain of Karasuno's volleyball team."

"Koshi Sugawara, third year."

"Asahi Azumane, third year."

"Chikara Ennoshita, second year."

"Ryuunosuke Tanaka, second year."

"Yuu Nishinoya, second year."

"Kazuhito Narita, second year."

"Hisashi Kinoshita, second year."

"Tobio Kageyama, first year."

"Shoyo Hinata, first year."

"Kei Tsukishima, first year."

"Tadashi Yamaguchi, first year."

I hummed, turning my attention to the people in the back, eyes lingering on the faces of the two girls and unidentified teacher. There was a blonde and ravenette standing side-by-side. I assumed the darker haired girl was at least a second year, and the younger one was probably a first year.

"This is Takeda-sensei, our advisory teacher for the club," Daichi introduced, gesturing towards the figures, "Kiyoko Shimizu and Hitoka Yachi are the managers of the club." I bowed slightly, my head tilted downwards in a polite yet short greeting. It felt slightly awkward to have so many eyes on me all at once -- a bit overwhelming, to be honest. But somehow a tiny part of me felt comfortable, surprisingly. It felt like I could be at ease, although the students and coaches seemed to be total strangers. It just felt like I was safe.

I was welcomed by them with no hesitation at all. Of course, I knew that I had probably known these guys my whole life, and it wasn't an abnormality for them to be kind to me, but it was a nice touch.

"Anyways-" The coach's voice rang out, jutting through my train of thought. All of our heads turned to face him, curious of what he had planned.

"Why don't we come inside and you guys can resume practice? I'll fill (Y/N) in on what's going on, and it'll be like they didn't even forget anything." Just like that, everyone filed inside the gym and the sound of volleyballs smacking against the ground echoed once more through the large space. Ukai sighed, crossing his arms and looked thoughtfully towards the sea of boys practicing.

"I bet you're already wondering how you got to meet all these hooligans," he chuckled, nudging an elbow in my general direction. I laughed a little, admiring the determination etched across the players' faces.

"They're not usually like this, either. I think seeing you again has made even the stubborn Tsukishima grow a bit more serious about this." I cocked my head, looking at the blonde with glasses, noticing that his expression grew a bit more resolute than when I had first seen him.

"I guess so," I commented, scratching my cheek awkwardly. It was quiet for a moment, but I then remembered catching some gossip flying around about the school's next match.

"By the way, I overheard in class that the team was going against Shiratorizawa, and if we win, we make it to nationals." Ukai's lips pressed into a thin line, sucking in a swift breath of air, wincing a bit. It looked like I just hit a nerve.

"Yeah... it's gonna be rough. That school is a powerhouse, and they've gone to nationals for the past few years as reps for the prefecture. Though this year, our team's real determined to beat 'em. We've been working hard to power through the matches. I'm real proud of the boys, and I think with a lot of hard work, we can do it. We beat Aoba Johsai in our last match, too."

"Oh!" I snapped my fingers, remembering Hinata mentioning something about them during our bike ride to school. "Apparently I know their ace really well, according to Hinata. Iwai... something, I think his name was." The coach confirmed the blurt with a nod, adding onto the thought.

"You used to know a lot of people from the prefecture, and even some out far away, like Tokyo. If I remember correctly, you kept calling Ushijima your 'best friend.'" Ukai paused for a moment, attempting to jog his memory. "Actually, now that I think about it, you called everybody your best friend. I never knew why." I laughed, the first genuine one I had in a while, finding the thought of me bouncing around screaming "Best friend!" hilarious.

"Even though I can't really remember, it kinda sounds like something I would do." I cast a knowing glance towards the blonde, only to have him return the sly grin. The atmosphere was comfortable, since the coach seemed like one of those cool uncles that always bought you something when he visited, whether it be something small, or something big. He gave off the impression that he really did enjoy your company.

It felt like I could trust him -- it felt like I knew him. What really stood out was the fact that he could care for so many individuals, chat along with them as if they were old friends, and still be that mentor they needed. He was kind, even though he didn't exactly look the part or admit to it. My thoughts were cut short in the middle of profiling his features when Ukai started to move.

"We should start helping them with drills." The coach beckoned for me to follow him to the center court and barked instructions to the boys. I trailed along behind him, awaiting the start of my first practice. With upturned lips and a rosy complexion, there was a part of me that felt relieved that this was the Karasuno I'd known for so many years, and not some outrageously dangerous fantasy I concocted inside my mind.

This wasn't so bad after all.


	8. Contacts

Practice was fun -- I was able to get my schoolwork done after helping out the boys with tossing balls. They practiced their team drills and combos along with the coach's guidance while I stood and watched in awe. I was beginning to see how well Karasuno fared, and had a spark of hope for the possibility of Shiratorizawa's defeat.

I reconnected with Shimizu and Yachi a bit when the guys were playing practice matches. They told me the information Ukai had forgotten to cover in our brief conversation. The two girls were helpful -- stellar managers because of their patience and care for the boys. Although both were pretty reserved, as they didn't speak much, I could tell they truly did want for the team to thrive.

As practice wore on, I felt myself becoming more and more drowsy, struggling to fight the urge to yawn and give up. But it wasn't too long before the sun descended below the bleak horizon, bringing the moon and its stars into view, white lights dotting the black night sky, signaling the end of the day's practice.

I grew a little more appreciative of the evening as I happily skipped to grab my things, relieved that the stressful training routine was over. When I tilted my head up to gaze through the window, the edges of my lips curled upwards and my eyes crinkled in joy. The beauty of the night was a sight to behold, especially after not witnessing or remembering the full extent of it for such a long time. One of the perks of living in such a suburban area was that you could really see the natural wonders of the late evening, without the excess artificial lights and lampposts of the city imposing on the beauty.

Currently, I was waiting for someone to walk out of school with me. Hinata was the first one out the door, his feet stumbling slightly as he exited the gym. I reached to help him, but he steadied himself before I could intervene. My muscles relaxed, thankful that they didn't have to strain to catch anyone as my arms flopped against my sides. I decided to stir up a conversation with Hinata, seeing that the ambiance of the night provided the perfect opportunity for one.

"Those were some good matches," I breathed, rubbing my eyelids, patting them gently to prevent them from puffing up, "Everyone did a really great job." The carrot-top gave a groan, rubbing his sore arms and legs. Kageyama followed suit, mirroring his partner's movements with a scrunched up face. I laughed at the sight and just continued to walk with them, ignoring the fact that they looked like gremlins with their crinkled noses and curled lips.

We headed in the general direction of our homes together, talking a bit about school, and how I found it to be after coming back. It went smoothly, with both of the first years just conversing about high school, telling me about everyone in the club, with the constant small insult threaded into the dialogue towards each other.

I couldn't help but chuckle at their "frenemy" relationship. The duo, as I'd seen during practice, coordinated together spectacularly. Both of them told me the pleasure they felt in succeeding to amaze me yet again with their quick attack, as they'd taken a look at my face the moment it was pulled off successfully. Upon hearing this, I began to become a bit flustered, a small blush rushing to my cheeks at the mere mention of my awestruck expression.

Was I the first thing that came to their minds when they pulled it off? While Hinata and Kageyama started to playfully bicker again, I was lost in my own head. Why had they looked at me? Couldn't they just have gotten to caught up in the heat of everything, and forget I was there? Was it that important for me to see?

Maybe they were just proud of it and wanted to showcase it to me.

It didn't have to be someone special, just someone that was paying attention.

I was starting to doubt myself more and more as time went by, seriously not trusting that me, of all people, could be so special to someone, much less than multiple people. It was easy for me to like somebody, to grow attached. From the information I had gotten from Ukai, he said that I called everybody "best friend." Did people really like that, or were they just putting up with me?

Was I flattering myself with saying that I was special?

There really was no particular reason to become friends with me -- I had a fairly normal life. But from the past I couldn't remember, it seemed like I had made so many friends that were willing to come and visit me in my times of need. The idea of people waiting for me when I was in a coma seemed bizarre, especially since there were all mostly from different schools -- some even from outside the prefecture.

Plus, besides the guys I had woken up to, there were more that had given their time to me, that had shed their effort to have a chance to see me be okay. They'd even taken shifts, an extremity I really couldn't bring myself to believe.

After saying a brief goodbye to Kageyama and Hinata, I got to my house and went inside, immediately making a beeline for my room. There, I did some more thinking with some note-taking, and formed a plan to get rid of my nerves. Being as bored as I was, I stopped every so often to check my messages, seeing the contact names I had saved on my device.

"asskawa, angry bird, cat 1, cat 2, cat 3, cat 4... ten cats? What?" I scrolled through the names, puzzled at the contact information. Though I still had the pictures to go off from, I furrowed my eyebrows, perplexed by the strange choice in the naming system. But to be fair, the names did kind of match up with their general appearances.

After a bit of swiping around, I suddenly remembered Ushijima, and hurried to check what his contact name would be.

 _Maybe something like "stone face" or something._ I chuckledto myself, hoping to text him to see how he was. That shot of adrenaline soon faded away, however, when I couldn't find his profile picture in my contact list. That was weird. I saw that he had a phone, and I think we used to be pretty close, since he was part of the group waiting to receive me at the hospital.

_Probably an accident._

Settling down, I checked my messages again and saw a notification from "yOu sHoULd hAvE cOmE tO sHitTy-tORizAwA," and coughed a little bit once laying my eyes upon that groupchat name. I was curious, so I decided to message them before checking out the other contacts on my phone.

**_uhhhh hi?_ **

Immediately, a text bubble appeared from one of the group members.

_(y/n)! why didn't you text us for the past week???? :'0 we were spamming you with calls and stuff!_

**_sorry,,, something came up_ **

**don't bother them dumbass, (y/n)'s probably tired**

_**i'm not at all, actually! just bored, so we can keep talking if you want** _

_SEEEEEEEEE_

**oh my god you are so stupid**

_**haha** _

_(y/n)-chan why are you typing like that, is something wrong?_

_**uhhhhh** _

_**kinda????** _

_awww what's wrong? :'( do you wanna talk about it?_

_**i kinda don't know who you are** _

_wot???????????????????????????????_

_wdymmm is my face that forgettable :'(((((_

_i'm wounded, (y/n)_

_so mean *cry* :' (_

**(y/n), what? do you mind filling us in?**

**don't mind the idiot spamming the chat, by the way.**

**hes always like this,,,**

**_uhhh sure ok lol_ **

_**okay so,,, long story short i kinda have amnesia now and it's permanent ahaha** _

_**so ahaha i kinda,,, don't know you anymore** _

**_haha life is fun haha_ **

_omg noooo!!!! wth!!!_

_i'm sorry (y/n), i didn't know! nobody told me :((((((((_

_oh, i should've checked up on youuu :'(( sorry sorryyyyyy_

_aaaagh_

**when did this happen? are you okay now?**

_**ahhh,,, the doctor told me i'd been out since like, last week? idk and i'm okay now :)** _

**at least you're okay**

**i'm sorry about not coming to visit you in the hospital**

**if i had known sooner i would have :/**

_**awww it's ok tho!** _

_**you're sweet, thank u** _

_HOW COME HE GETS ALL THE COMPLIMENTS_

_I WOULD HAVE COME BY EVERY SINGLE DAY AND GIVEN YOU LIKE,,,_

_FLOWERS_

_OR SOMETHING_

**omfg you're an idiot**

_S O B_

_**don't be sad omg** _

**_it's okay! everything is settled now, so we can,,,_ **

**_uh,,, move on!_ **

_**by the way, can you guys tell me your names again i kinda forgot as mentioned before,,,** _

_what are our contact names? ; 0_

_**uhhhh idk if i should tell you guys ddjjdjdjdskskdfj** _

_**you might be offended** _

_c'monnnnnnn pleaseeeee : 00000_

_**ok** _

_**uhhh** _

**_"asskawa" and "iwa chan"_ **

_WHY DOES HE GET THE CUTE USERNAME_

_S O B_

**LMFAOOOOOOOOO**

**HEADASS**

_S O B YOU'RE SO MEAN IWA-CHAN_

**_kjsdfkjsd sorry,,,???_ **

**don't mind the idiot, he gets overly sensitive about the tiniest of things**

_hEY_

_THIS IS NOT A "TINY" THING_

**that's what he said**

**anyways**

**I'm Hajime Iwaizumi, third year at Aoba Johsai. The "asskawa" idiot is Toru Oikawa.**

**_oh, i've heard of aoba johsai! coach ukai told me about it, u guys are a "powerhouse" whatever that means_ **

_yeah, we're kinda a big deal haha_

**omfg stop buttering yourself up**

**sorry (y/n)**

**do you know about any other schools?**

**_karasuno's the one i go to, and shiratorizawa is the one ushijima goes to, i think_ **

_oh, you know ushiwaka?_

_**apparently lmao he was waiting for me at the hospital when i got out** _

_wait how did HE know about you when we didn't???? that bastard grrrrr >:((((((_

_ugh, i hate these kinds of guys, they're so rude_

_**sjdfjkdsfj** _

**stop making (y/n) have an aneurysm**

_soRRY_

**_uh i got a question_ **

_ye?_

**what's up**

**_why is this chat named so weirdly, anyways?_ **

_ugh it's because of that big shitty-torizawa idiot_

_ew even thinking about him gives me a headache_

_anyways the chat name is like,,, a meme_

_it's something that big olive headass said to me when i graduated junior high and prepared my hs apps_

_idk what he really meant but i hate him >:0000_

_he wanted me to join their team as a setter and i just-_

_E U G H_

_**ah** _

_we made lots of jokes about it before, it's an inside thing_

_**okie** _

_ye_

_wait omg_

_are you at your house, (y/n)?_

_**why would i not be???????????** _

_**it's literally like eight pm, dummy** _

_okay fair point BUT can we come over_

**_hUH_ **

_ik it's late and stuff but i kinda wanna see u ( •̀_ _‿_ _•́ )✧_

**oikawa you headass what are you even thinking**

_we both live literally like,,, right next to their house tho_

_**uhhhhhh** _

_**uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,,,** _

_**whatever why not i have nothing to do anyways** _

_yay!_

**sigh**

**sorry about the impromptu visit**

_**it's okay :) excited to see you guys in person (again ig)** _

**same here**

_i'm gonna drag him while i run so we'll be there in a few mins!_

**whashdfsdiuyfugtjhfdhj**

**_ok lol_ **

I set my phone down, chest buzzing with excitement. I was ecstatic that someone I knew before would come visit so soon and suggest it on the spot. It felt special, in some way. Happily scrolling up, I spent some time checking the chat history, finding various conversations about Hinata, and Kageyama, whom Oikawa referred to as "shrimpy" and "my junior." Oikawa, through his texts seemed like he had an extremely playful personality, he was one that liked to troll people a lot. Iwaizumi just felt like he was just there to keep his friend in check.

As promised, when the few long minutes rolled by, a knock was heard at the door. I quickly jumped up and practically flew out my room to receive it, anticipation making my nerves tingle. Fumbling with the door knob, I cursed under my breath and finally managed to open it, revealing the two boys.

Upon seeing them, the only thing I could do was just stare. They were so _tall_. Oikawa had to be at least six feet, and Iwaizumi didn't seem that much shorter next to him. I started to sweat, nothing coming out of my mouth at first, only small sounds due to the shortness of breath I felt at the moment.

"Iwa-chan, are they okay?" My lips pressed together, eyes averting from both of their gazes. I was definitely not ready to talk to them.

"Don't be so rude," the other boy snapped, casting an apologetic look my direction. I only stood there, intimidated by their huge stature. Until Iwaizumi stepped forwards to give me a small smile, I tried not to make eye contact with them.

"It's good to see you again, (Y/N)." I shivered, a gust of wind gently blowing through the evening's atmosphere. Lifting my head, I came face-to-face with him as my irises stilled and focused on his features.

"Yeah, you too."


	9. An Invitation to the Castle

We sat in my room after the odd interaction at the door, thinking about what we should say now that the two were finally here. I fiddled with my thumbs, still unsure of whether or not to speak up with my friends. It wouldn't be too awkward for them, but since I forgot everything about them, I didn't know what they were like, what they enjoyed, or even how our previous relationship dynamic functioned. All the "What's your favorite-?" questions didn't fit the moment, and I was too embarrassed to ask them something as mundane as that.

Maybe this meeting was a bad idea, but I couldn't give up now. Trying to come up with a good solution to get a good conversation going, I drew a blank for a few seconds before getting an idea. We must have been pretty tight knit, though, so maybe I should start off by getting to know them again.

"Can I ask questions? I mean, I lost my memory and everything, and everyone's been telling me about you and your school, but there wasn't any real detail. I want to get to know how you guys again." The first real words of the night had been uttered, and had completely caught the attention of both boys. Oikawa's eyes, as I had noticed, began to sparkle, delighted by the fact that I had actually talked to them instead of choosing to sit in silence.

"That's great! And of course you can ask," he responded enthusiastically, beaming at me, "I was getting worried that you forgot us or something. It was a bit boring without you to text us over the weekend." Surprised, I felt my cheeks flush a little bit, flattered by the out-of-the-blue compliment.

"Th-Thanks?" I stammered, eyes widened and eyebrows raised at his excitement. Clearing my throat, I tried to calm down and form a considerate question to not make myself look like too much of a fool.

"Uh, so what are your opinions on Shiratorizawa, and how do you think it compares with Aoba Johsai and Karasuno?" I flinched and mentally groaned at how "reporter-esque" it sounded. This wasn't an interview, the meeting was just a mean in order to get to know my friends again.

Shaking the thought away, I refocused my attention on the reactions of the two boys instead of brooding over how bad I sounded.

To my surprise, neither of them seemed to pay attention to how I sounded, only acknowledging the contents of my inquiry. Oikawa waved his hand around, a disgusted look taking upon his features. Iwaizumi crinkled his nose in distaste, the corners of his mouth slightly tugged down. I couldn't help but laugh at the sudden change in attitude.

"Ugh, don't even get my started about Shitty-torizawa. It's a good academy with a lot of good curriculum, and it _is_ a powerhouse school, but it's super overrated -- especially with Ushiwaka's personality. Karasuno is the school -- I think you know this already -- where Shrimpy and Tobio go to. It's okay, but a bit behind Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa in academics and athletics, but I heard the tennis team is pretty good." Nodding, I soaked in the newly obtained information, trying to think of something else to say to further the conversation.

"Though Toru doesn't really like Shiratorizawa or Karasuno, I have to admit Ushijima is an extremely good player, and Karasuno's Number 10 isn't half bad either," Iwaizumi interrupted, butting into the conversation. "The setter for Karasuno is our junior, and he's good at what he does." The flow of the conversation seemed to embed itself into my mind as I took my chance to speak.

"I've seen them play, and their quick attacks are absolutely insane," I commented, crossing my legs and leaning backwards, comfortably looking at the boys, "Shoyo and Kageyama really are something." Once I'd said the sentence, I could practically see Oikawa's face turn red.

"Why'd you have to praise them so much," he muttered bitterly, "If you came to see one of our games you'd be on the floor judging by your reaction to only one of their quicks-" Although Oikawa looked angry and jealous, he seemed more nostalgic than anything. His expression seemed crestfallen, somehow. Like someone that had come crashing down with the weight of the whole world when they were on top of the mountain a minute ago. Maybe he remembered something that I'd forgotten.

"Then why don't I come to one of your practices?" I suggested with a smile. Iwazumi also turned his head towards me along with his brunette companion. I saw their shining eyes and immediately felt warm inside. Had I done something good enough to make their gazes change? It wasn't much, I just said I'd stop by and watch them. Was it important that I saw them?

A part of me wanted to continue to say things that would make them happy -- it was weirdly alluring to see their reactions.

"You really can?" Oikawa gasped, clapping his hands together. I chuckled and lightly punched his arm, feigning offense.

"Of course, why wouldn't I see my friends?" Iwaizumi let a breath out of his nose and patted my shoulder.

"You're too good for us, (Y/N)," he said, softened eyes bearing into mine, "We really missed you." I was literally a baby step away from crying again, and I didn't want puffy eyes going into tomorrow, so I tried sucking it in, tilting my head towards the ceiling and blinking away the tears. Oikawa stopped fussing around when he noticed my emotional state and gave me an affectionate side hug.

"Don't cry, I know you know that Aoba Johsai's going to be so much better than Karasuno, it's overwhelming, I know, I know," Oikawa shushed, gingerly smoothing down my hair, "It's going to be fine-" I clicked my tongue swatted his hand away, trying not to get sad, mad, and happy simultaneously. A mixture of a cough and a snort came out of my mouth, the result of me resisting the temptation to laugh while choking on my own spit.

"Toru you idiot, you just made it worse-" I wheezed, trying my best not to die on the spot. My mouth splayed into a wide grin and I felt laughter bubble up from the pits of my stomach, but even that quickly turned into tears. Iwaizumi flicked Oikawa's forehead and enveloped me in a side-hug, letting me cry quietly without interruption. My heart ached, like this was the thing I'd been missing all along. It felt nice to feel comfortable again, to be around people that understand you.

To call them so openly by their first names, to invite them into my house and not have them be weird about anything was what I thought to be the closest form of friendship. Though we didn't speak for long, it didn't seem like they'd forgotten what we used to be, like I had.

We were all from different schools, but with them, I didn't feel at all like we were. I didn't feel bad becoming this mess around them, and I didn't feel ashamed to have forgotten everything that I was made up of. Instead, they made me feel as though I was enough, like I was worth talking to because I was their friend.

The rest of the night was spent socializing, getting to know my past life more, with them showing me pictures of us together until they had to leave. I learned a lot just by talking to the two, an opportunity I'm glad I didn't miss. They were a peculiar duo, but I could tell that we were going to make some great new memories together.

Hopefully I'll be able to see them on the court, in action, to finally know what Aoba Johsai volleyball is really about.

__

"You're going where?" Tanaka roared, eyes practically bulging out of his head. I laughed nervously and shrunk inwards, feeling a small urge to melt into my chair. The angry baldie huffed, crossing his arms angrily. Nishinoya stood beside him with a similar expression slapped onto his face.

"How could you betray us like this?" Yuu cried exaggeratedly, motioning a knife piercing his chest, "It's only been a day!" I stumbled over my words, not quite sure what to say in response to his accusatory statement.

"I just wanted to see what they were like," I finally mumbled, looking away from the duo. Was it that bad that I just wanted to see Oikawa and Iwaizumi? I get that they're rivals and everything, but was it really that bad? Tanaka sighed and patted my back, sticking his bottom lip out in a pout.

"(Y/N), still as naive and innocent as ever," he said, a slight lilt to his voice, "We were teasing you, nothing to be worried about." I whipped my head up, ecstatic to hear that they weren't actually mad. Relief flooded my senses and I felt an impromptu wave of emotion wash over me.

"Ryuu, Yuu," I groaned, drawing out the "oo" sound in both of their names, "Don't do that again, okay?" Nishinoya smiled playfully and gently knocked a hand against my shoulder.

"Just make sure to stay safe. Those Aoba Johsai kids are something else," he replied coyly, leaning on my desk, palms pressed flat against the wooden surface. Tanaka reaffirmed his friend's words by nodding his head stiffly, glaring down at me from his standing position, chest puffed in pride.

"And make sure to give us information about how they play! Please spy on them for us!" he announced shamelessly, eyes becoming wider and fiercer, more passion enveloping his irises with every passing moment. For the first time today, I laughed without hesitation, letting the melody slip out of my mouth and ring in my ears.

"Okay," I agreed, holding my pinky out, staring at the boys curiously, "I will." Nishinoya hooked his little finger in mine and we shook on it, a binding contract that couldn't be terminated. We talked a bit more about Oikawa and how obnoxious Tanaka thought he was until the bell rang, signaling the start of class.

My two friends bid me goodbye as they exited, swiftly leaving the classroom, leaving me to think about what events were going to happen after school. I couldn't seem to get Iwaizumi or Oikawa out of my head when I started to think about them. How did they play volleyball? What was their dynamic like?

Once again, I spent my morning dawdling on after school matters. It left me wanting answers, and soon enough, I would get them.


	10. The King

It was a bit awkward to walk so openly in a different school.

Somehow, I felt like I was intruding on private affairs just by being on Aoba Johsai grounds. I still had my uniform on, which made me stand out even more, as I didn't have time to change after class, and headed directly where the GPS told me to. Nishinoya had talked to me during lunch about how I was going to deliver the information. 

_"So," the brunette said, pointing at me with his chopsticks, "What you're going to do is sneak in there, stay, talk to them, get to know them better or whatever. Then you're going to go directly back to Karasuno. It shouldn't take you that long, but if you can't make it back once we're done with practice, just text the group chat." I nodded slowly, kind of getting the bigger picture, although I still had questions._

_"But what do I ask them?"_

_"You don't need to ask anything. Act natural. Just observe."_

_"What do I observe?"_

_"Anything. Their attack sequences, player behaviors, footwork, anything that will help us analyze. We beat them once, but it doesn't mean that we can't get better for the next face-off."_

I pushed a button to end the GPS route and pocketed my phone, strolling along the nicely paved sidewalk of the school. Looking around, it certainly had a special aura just radiating from the very buildings. Not homey, but nice enough to make me feel comfortable, despite the various students glancing in my direction. I spotted the baseball kids walking down the field and decided to ask them where the gym was.

"Hey, excuse me!" I shouted, gathering their attention. One of them turned my direction and smiled, despite noticing my different uniform.

"Sorry for the intrusion, if you're busy, but do you mind telling me where the main gym is? I'm supposed to meet a couple of friends." The guy was nice enough to guide me there on his own, asking me a few questions about Karasuno, as he judged I went there based on how I was dressed. Of course, I answered them respectfully to the best of my extent, since I currently didn't know what the whole school was like. 

After our arrival, he was gone like a leaf in the wind, quickly heading back to his team. I, on the other hand, was looking at the gym doors like they were the walls of an iron fortress, impenetrable and impossible to breach. Drawing a deep breath in, I mustered the courage to knock forcefully on the door, making sure that the people inside heard me.

I froze up when I heard footsteps, and then a lock being opened. A figure came out from behind the barrier, looking at me in a mixture of surprise and shock. Their eyes shone with surprise, clearly recognizing me. He had tan hair and eyes to match, not really standing out all that much.

"Hello," I said rather quietly, "Is Oikawa here?" The boy stepped aside rather hesitantly, allowing for me to enter the vast gymnasium. I spotted a group of guys currently on their water break and brightened up when I saw the two familiar faces.

"Iwaizumi! Oikawa!" I called, waving to them. They managed to hear me from all the way across the gym and jogged over, setting their water bottles down. I happily ran towards the two with their confused teammate trailing after me. The rest of them seemed to be accustomed to my presence, as a few of them greeted me the same way Oikawa and Iwaizumi did, and the ones remaining didn't display much.

"(Y/N)!" I joyfully accepted a tight hug from them and gestured to the rest of their team. "This is Aoba Johsai volleyball?" They laughed and nodded, guiding me towards the side lines where I could wait in peace. Curiously, I looked at every single player, seeing the new faces. They all seemed to look quite peaceful, minus the one blonde guy, and I was now even more invested in their playing abilities. What were they like on the court?

A whistle rang and the boys' water break ended. I took one look at the coach as he shot me a friendly glance, then continued to run the drills for the team. Oikawa probably told him about my arrival. Maybe that's why there were no major reactions to me entering the gymnasium so suddenly. I noticed that there wasn't a manager, like Kiyoko or Yachi, but an assistant coach, who seemed more experienced than Takeda-sensei. 

I watched them jump and spike balls, set to each other, and even play in long rallies of underhand passes. Yet, it seemed normal -- like what I'd seen at Karasuno. It left me wanting more, craving for more action. Surely Aoba Johsai was made up of more than just mediocre passes. 

Finally, it was time to serve, a warmup for the matches that were about to happen. My eyes looked at their posture keenly, mentally noting how they set up for serves, how their bodies seemed to whip in the air. I kept my gaze at Oikawa, seeing that he took more time to spin the ball than others did. It was as if he was testing the feel of the spherical object, the optimum point to hit it. 

So the brunette threw the ball into the air, skyrocketing it overhead with a sly smile lazily adorning his features. He ran with the pace of the volleyball, then jumped. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. Oikawa's lips parted in preparation to exhale a breath of air, using all of his might to slam the ball to the other side of the court. I heard the bang as his palm made contact with the hard surface, then only moments later, the sound of the ball booming against the laminated wooden floor of the gym. 

His hair rustled and his movements slowed before my very eyes. All of a sudden, the only thing I could see was the brunette. His gleaming chocolate eyes reflected the light from the window. They were shining, burning with passion. Oikawa's motion was like that of a spring: a coil, then an uncoil, unleashing the power stored inside. His torso whipped out as all of his strength went to his core and arm, pounding the volleyball into the floor.

Right after the shot, everything turned normal again. He landed onto his two feet and I just stared at him in amazement, utter infatuation pouring out in doses of dopamine. My head felt light, like a large gust of wind had just dusted over the court, leaving me refreshed and alert. 

The heart of Aoba Johsai's VB team had just been revealed to me in the most spectacular way possible.

_Unbelievable._

__

That evening, the boys escorted me back home after getting to explain my situation to the rest of the team, with them re-introducing themselves, like Karasuno did. I may not have realized it, but there was a skip in my step, a bubbly feeling that lingered. There wasn't much talking, but an overall sense of comfort shared between us three. 

My eyes flickered from the night life in the city, bright and encased in artificial light, to the suburbs that were plated with rolling plains and simple houses. With content, I suddenly raised a question.

"Do you always hit like that, Oikawa?" My voice grew quiet as I turned my head slowly, meeting his gaze. It were those deep brown eyes that transfixed me to him, yet I couldn't help but look at Iwaizumi as well, his sharp glare softening as he set eyes on me. "Do you always hit like that, or were you just showing off?" I saw a tiny force tugging Toru's lips upwards, but somehow he managed to keep a straight face.

"I _always_ hit like that," he said pridefully, jabbing a thumb at his chest. I expected Iwaizumi to react more violently, elbow his partner in the ribs or something, to correct him and say that it wasn't true. 

But he never did.

The ravenette simply remained quiet, still looking at me with an expectant expression. I felt my cheeks flush, a realization dawning upon me. The first thought wasn't: "How had Karasuno beaten that serve?" Rather, it was the simple pride and joy of knowing Oikawa had always played amazingly, and that he didn't need to show off in order for me to be impressed. 

"Ok," I replied softly, not expecting any more words to come out of the two other students. If my vocal attributions weren't enough to fulfill their expectations regarding my reaction, I'm sure that everything I'd thought was on full display on my face. I wheeled my head to a front-facing position and continued onward, a bit jittery from the adrenaline rush.

The gentle breeze felt a little more rejuvenating that night.


	11. Spring Tournament

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The original story line is altered to fit the plot of this book! Instead of heading directly to play Shiratorizawa the next day, there is a longer buffer in between matches. When the reader first got in the hospital, Karasuno had just beaten Aoba Johsai.

Another day had passed, and Karasuno was preparing to face off against a seemingly unbeatable rival: Shiratorizawa. Daichi had briefed me in on more info about the powerhouse the day before, and told me they were always the representatives for the Miyagi prefecture in Nationals. He really elaborated on Ushijima, for some reason, saying that his spiking ability, as well as the advantage he had as a lefty is what truly made him a top-three ace. Suga had overheard our conversation and whipped out a volleyball magazine to show me the olive-haired male's picture plastered onto one of the pages.

That was yesterday, and right now it was the early morning. I was graciously chosen to travel along in the bus with them, given that I showed up on time.

I still had that magazine with me, rolled up into a little scroll so I could spend my free time reviewing it. On my way to the meeting spot, I clutched the bundle of papers in one hand, gripping my bag tightly with the other. My bike was parked on a bike rack, safe from any theft that might occur. But someone stealing my bike was probably the least of my worries at the moment.

It was only a couple of hours until the fateful playoff, and I could not be more tense. I couldn't possibly imagine what it must be like for the boys. The magazine rustled as I opened it, releasing it from its tightly wrapped position. 

Crinkling the thin pages of the article, my finger gripped onto the edges tightly as I whisked through, trying to find something that was of use. There was a lot of information about the higher-ranking players, especially ones in the league of Ushiwaka. On the next page of the magazine, though not as boldly featured, there was a list of the top five aces in the country. My eyes widened in surprise as I spotted a familiar face.

Hinata had shown me a picture of him while going on about all the awesome volleyball players he and I had met.

_What was his name? Boke- Boka- Boket-? No, Bok- Bokea- Bokue..._

I snapped my fingers, finally remembering the energetic ace.

_Bokuto._

I mean, he did give off that vibe where he seemed like he thoroughly enjoyed volleyball, but I never expected for him to be so high on the charts. Being nationally ranked was a big deal, and considering how many volleyball players there were, I felt a bit honored to personally know two of them. Quietly snickering at myself, I shoved the papers into my bag while feeling a bit ridiculous about getting so riled up. 

Soon, I spotted a vehicle in the distance, then a little huddle of figures, all waiting outside. I greeted everyone and boarded the bus, shaking a bit from anticipation. Taking a seat next to Nishinoya, I returned an overly enthusiastic smile, and started chatting up a storm with Tanaka, who was also conveniently positioned next to us.

"Did you know that last time Hinata puked on me? My pants too-" I could do nothing but laugh and grin the whole ride to the stadium. Being surrounded by such positive people was more than enough to make me whole. There wasn't a second where I felt like my heart wasn't going to explode from pure joy and appreciation. I thought about it in depth, and realized the act of them inviting me to board the bus with them meant more than I first perceived it to be. 

This was where I needed to be -- with people that loved me, that cared for me as if I was a part of this huge family. They didn't care whether or not I lost my memory, they knew me. They trusted me enough to be able to reconnect and bond as a team. I couldn't have been more thankful. Before I knew it, everyone was showing me pictures of them and me together, as happy as can be. 

"Oh, oh!" Ennoshita interrupted the conversation, whipping out his phone, "I have some good pictures of our study sessions with the other second-years!" I gazed fondly at the scene, a bright smile beaming back at me from the screen, hands pulling the sides of Tanaka's face up, forcing his mouth to bend in a grin. Continuing the trend of Ryuu's amusing faces, most of the guys handed in their smartphones, chuckling at our friend. 

The best one by far was where I was on the back of Asahi, with him almost falling because of the added weight. He didn't display any difficulty hauling me up, just an strained expression plastered onto his face. My arms were tightly wrapped around his shoulders and I could almost hear my laughter echoing. 

_That's me._ I took a glance at the people around me, my irises falling on Azumane's face. _And that's him._ It was almost unbelievable, to see myself in a new light. There I was, as a digital picture. Yet the odd thing was that there were no cognitive thoughts or memories to go along with it. Usually when someone sees something familiar, they're reminded of a beloved moment, an important point in their life that they can get off the top of their head. 

It was confusing. I felt a squeeze in my chest, but I didn't know why. I didn't know why I was repeatedly chanting to myself to not cry in the midst of all the rushes of joy. Managing to blink away the tears, I breathed in deeply and continued to go over the majority of the pictures the guys had stored away in their camera libraries. Ukai even got in on the action, showing me a photo that he took of me posing at a steel tower, with the caption: "Tokyo Tower!" Everybody hollered and burst into fierce cackles, some kind of inside joke being brought about.

Even though I didn't get it, I couldn't help but laugh along with them.

__

We got to the Sendai Gym earlier than expected, the large building coming into view just ahead. The bus pulled into the parking lot and all of us got off, a little fatigued from the ride here. I stepped out of the sliding doors and breathed in fresh air, relieved to have been liberated from the restricting space. After stretching a little, I heard a voice call for Daichi. My head wheeled in her direction, eyes pin-pointedly staring at her. 

"Sawamura!" He greeted her, and she gave nervously gave him a good luck charm after stammering a bit. I couldn't help but look amused, noticing the erratic behavior as something more. 

_She totally has the hots for him._

The awkward exchange ended with him accepting the small token, and waving goodbye as our group advanced. God, he was so dense. I looked at the girl for a few seconds, remembering that she was a contact on my phone, based off of the picture I recognized. 

'Michimiya' suddenly noticed me out of the corner of her eye and jumped a bit, spontaneously waving an anxious hello before I grew too out of reach. I waved back and made the motion for her to text me soon. The brunette gave me a thumbs-up and returned to her friends, who consoled her about the failed confession. 

The doors to the gymnasium were open and mobs of people were inside, either talking to each other or looking at signs and posters plastered on the walls everywhere. I gawked at the sheer size of it all, taking in all the features and quirks of such a wide space. The Karasuno team had a little bantering as we all moved towards the general gym, but fortunately, we all made it in one piece. 

"(Y/N), the team will now be starting warm ups, so if you want to explore a little bit, feel free to. Yachi can come with you, if you guys want to browse around," Ukai explained, hands on his hips. I agreed happily and looked at the blonde girl next to me. She gave me a shaky smile, but genuine joy radiated from her eyes. I took her hand and dragged her along, as the coach just watched us go off. 

"Stay safe, you two!"

We walked in silence, quietly admiring the height and stature of all the taller volleyball players. The first year seemed a little bit scared, and I tried my best to comfort her, giving a couple pats on the back and reassuring smiles. I spotted a few cheerleaders wearing purple and white striped uniforms and brightened up when I noticed the school name in front of their shirts.

_Shiratorizawa._

Oh, hot damn, they even had drums and everything. My attention shifted from Yachi to the Shiratorizawa Academy's support. Big mistake. As I brushed past the onslaught of people suddenly flooding the hallway, in a rush to get to the seats right before the event started, Yachi was caught in the tide and my grasp on her hand broke. She yelped and got swept away in the crowd. Panicking, I tried reconnecting with her, but to no avail.

"I'll see you in the bleachers!" she squeaked, the last call before I didn't hear her anymore. I was alone now, in the middle of somewhere I didn't know how to navigate, that I seemingly hadn't been to before. The mass of fast-moving people didn't help either. I looked around, whipping my head in different directions, recognizing nobody. Feeling beads of sweat starting to form on my nose and forehead, I started to run around until I could find someone I knew and ask them for directions. 

Maybe Hinata went to the bathroom -- maybe I could find him there. I looked up and followed the signs to the lavatories. My legs burned as I dodged and weaved through the crowd of people. Heart pounding furiously, the beat thrummed through my ears, drowning out the noise of the mess of speech rushing through my mind. Panic seized me, throwing all rational thought out the window. I was alone, with no one to rely on.

 _Left, right, down this hallway, right-_

Suddenly, I had bumped into someone. Well, crashed, to be fair. I grunted, not expecting the impact as I curved left, around a corner. The figure I had crossed paths with also gave a wheeze, stumbling a bit before regaining their balance.

"Sorry, I-" They stopped mid-sentence as I lifted my head, eyes closed, groaning at throbbing sensation in my head. "(L/N)?" I managed to flutter my eyelids open, getting a glimpse of the figure in front of me. The bold letters of "Shiratorizawa" stood out among all the purple and white on the figure's jacket. Looking up, I saw their face, once again, not looking all too familiar.

He was a redhead, with spiky hair that defied gravity in every which way, sticking out like peaks on a cliff. I didn't know him, but somehow he knew me. His eyes brightened up as we made eye contact, surprising me with a fully fledged embrace. I sputtered while very nearly being choked by the fellow, until someone else came around the corner and told him to stop.

"Tendou! That's enough, we need to get to the gym in ten minutes- (L/N)?" Alas, though I wanted to disappear at that very moment, more and more attention was being drawn to me and soon enough it looked like the whole Shiratorizawa volleyball team was gathered around me, with the exception of Ushijima, who arrived a few moments later.

"(L/N), it's so good to see you again!" I mumbled some kind of response and bowed my head, not wanting this at all. I was in the middle of a huddle, with so many pairs of eyes pinned onto me. They were total strangers -- how was I supposed to react? I felt like crying. I think someone had noticed my state of mind and ushered the team to back away from me and give me some breathing room. I sniffed and finally looked up with glossy eyes.

"I-I don't know any of you," I whispered, trying to wipe any sign of sadness away, "I'm sorry, but I forgot..." Wakatoshi arrived just in time, breaking through the ring of boys to get to me. They all looked at him, then me in confusion.

"(Y/N)." Murmurs spread through the small group, each of them frowning and pursing their lips, trying to decipher what was happening. My irises glimmered with hope upon seeing the olive-haired male, relieved to have finally gotten what I'd been seeking for all this time: a familiar face.

"Wakatoshi, what's going on?" Tendou asked, narrowed eyes scanning me, "Is this some kind of joke?" Ushijima sighed and ran a hand through his hair, thinking of the best way to put things. He seemed discontent with something, though I couldn't figure out what. A good ten seconds of silence had passed until I piped up, unable to withstand the awkwardness anymore.

"I lost my memory, I don't know how, and it's permanent. I don't remember anyone anymore, and I'm still trying to figure it out!" The group paused and seemed to think collectively about it, eyebrows furrowed and hands to mouths. Tendou leaned near Wakatoshi's ear and whispered something. My eyes could faintly read his lips: _Do you think they remember...?_

The redhead went quiet as he noticed his friend's expression. He seemed troubled, dark, gloomy eyes downcast, pinned to the ground. I noticed and pursed my lips, wondering what he could be so sad about. Suddenly, a thought popped into my head.

_What if this interrupts their mojo during the match?_

I felt terrible. What if they lose because of me? 

"Wait!" Everyone looked at me, and I cowered a bit before continuing. "I don't want this to screw up your spirits or flow during the match, so talk to me after! I be cheering for Karasuno and you guys, so please, don't think about it too much! Don't worry about me and focus on your games!" After a brief recollection and many half-hugs goodbye, the Shiratorizawa volleyball team bid me farewell, rushing to their match, presumably late.

I waved to them as their retreating figures turned a corner at the end of the hallway, out of my line of vision. My skin crawled, feeling mildly uncomfortable as I perused the nearly empty space that had been flooded with people just minutes before. There were a few stragglers that eyed me as I walked past, giving me the stink-eye upon seeing my different uniform. But it wasn't as bad, and things were starting to lighten up a little as there weren't as many obstacles as before.

I still had to find the bleachers, though.


	12. Picking and Choosing

Bursting into the spectators area with a huff, I peered over the bustling crowd, my eyes skimming over the orange Karasuno cheering force and the purple Shiratorizawa one. The boys were still doing warm ups, and I couldn't find Yachi anywhere (there were too many blonde people), so I chose to stand and watch them prepare for the big game. I saw my school's volleyball team spike and serve and felt my heart swell up in pride.

_Those were my boys!_

But a loud bang spooked me and caused my full attention to direct towards the cause of the noise. A volleyball suddenly flew up and landed in the hands of one of Hinata's junior high friends. Turning my head, I saw Ushijima land on the court with a tap, muscles tense with a post-spiking posture. Then another slam echoed through the vast arena. This time, it was from Karasuno, almost like a counterattack. 

Everyone around me looked visibly astounded, jaws agape and mouths wide open. The guys on the Shiratorizawa VB team, with the exception of Wakatoshi, were also surprised, gushing over the fact that he was so small but could jump so high. Ushijima looked _pissed_. I couldn't help but snicker a little bit under my breath, snapping out of the trance I was in and going down a flight of shallow steps to find Yachi. 

I spotted her in the front of the Karasuno crowd and gave a holler, waving both of my arms in the air, grabbing her attention. Once she noticed me I though she was going to cry by the way her eyes looked: glossy and just brimming with tears.

"(L/N)!" she exclaimed, thankful that I was finally here, "Oh, I thought you were dead!" I giggled, finding her reaction amusing and gently shoved her shoulder. She laughed along with me and noticed that the people next to her were staring at me tentatively, waiting to introduce themselves. Very shyly, she stepped backwards the make way for the strangers.

"(Y/N)!" Another blonde girl with a bob cut pounced on me, her arms wrapping around my head and bringing my chin to rest on her upper shoulder. She looked a lot like Tanaka -- had the energy, too. 

"You may not remember me, but that's fine! I'm Saeko Tanaka! Big sis Saeko!" she chirped, eagerly taking my hands and shaking them around. My brain felt like it was being thrown in a blender, as the tremors didn't stop.

"H-Hello-o," I stammered, my voice unstable due to the small earthquake coursing through my arms. A guy stopped her, timidly taking her hands off of mine and putting them by her sides, where they belonged. I was almost sweating from the workout, fingers still trembling a bit. She had a really strong grip. 

"Sorry about that, I'm Akiteru Tsukishima." Tsukishima? This guy looked nothing like the blonde Tsukki on the volleyball team. I shook my head, confused, doing a double-take. To be fair, he did inherit the height genes, but other than that, they looked nothing alike. Was this what Tsukki was going to look like when he got older? 

I guess Akiteru saw my eyes narrow and focus on his face, as he chuckled and sighed, a faint hint of recognition in the gesture.

"I get that a lot," he replied, as if he could read my mind, "I know I don't look like Kei, but we _are_ brothers." After more brief introductions, the matches were finally starting and the whole stadium's attention was now directed onto the key players of the qualifiers: Karasuno and Shiratorizawa.

Our crowd cheered when the orange and black team was being introduced, and I celebrated silently, but with less enthusiasm in my head when the purple team was. My eyes ran along the row of guys lining the outer boundaries of the court, more serious than I had ever seen them. The referee called for the match to begin, then they bowed and went into their positions. I was more than excited for the game -- it was the first official match up I've seen, after all. Shiratorizawa was more than a force to be reckoned with, and it was exhilarating to be able to experience this, even though it was from a secondhand perspective.

I heard some chatter about how both schools were playing five games, like the official matches instead of three, but never really paid attention to it. A whistle blew and Daichi got ready to serve. He hit the ball and it went flying over the the other side of the court, right into Goshiki. He called for it and received it, the volleyball landing nicely in the hands of the setter. 

It all happened so fast: I heard Ushijima's name, then saw Karasuno tense up. Three blockers jumped up in an attempt to stop the "unstoppable" force, but the ball didn't even scratch the surfaces of their arms as it sailed straight, right into Nishinoya, who was unable to pick it up. The ball hit the floor and dribbled away.

"Nice kill, Ushijima!" The words rang through the stadium along with the echoes of drums crashing like thunder. It seemed like all of Shiratorizawa was chanting Wakatoshi's name, while I spotted my schoolmates looking a little bit flustered, but undeterred. The second and third points were blown off, as Daichi miscalled a ball, and two of our spikers both called a ball, but didn't go for it. I could tell they were extremely nervous, tensing muscles contracting under every step they took. 

Wishing them good luck under my breath, I took a chance to look over the Shiratorizawa team. They were tall, sturdy, and seemed nonchalant about the game. I mean, every year it seemed like winning the Inter-High Prelims was basic knowledge to the powerhouse school. Maybe that's why their volleyball team was so popular. 

While glancing back at the Karasuno team, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a figure sitting alone. He didn't catch my attention the first time around, but when I did a double-take, my eyes widened. I rubbed them and squinted, making sure that it was the exact person I thought I recognized.

"Oikawa?" Yachi looked at me, confused.

"(L/N)?" Snapping my gaze towards her, I took her shoulders and held her firmly. She stammered, not expecting the sudden gesture.

"Oikawa's here, I gotta go. I'll text you!"

"Wh-What? Uh, o-okay!" 

With that, I scurried off, desperate to find the brunette I'd seen somewhere in the back of the audience. How long had he been there, watching the two schools battle it out? The tapping of my feet down the aisles and the rushing of wind were all I could hear through my thoughts. Questions swarmed my mind and I had an odd sense of relief upon seeing him. 

Looking back and forth, I finally saw him up close, almost unrecognizable, due to his non-gym wear and thick-framed glasses. He was already pretty good looking without the fancy clothes, and damn, was he stylish. Made me wish I wore something more than just my uniform. 

"Toru!" I called, waving my arm. A few people turned to me, looking at the source of the noise, but paid me no further attention, as they were too focused on the game. I saw the Aoba Johsai second-year jump in his seat, twisting his head to get a good look at whoever had called his name, but relaxed upon seeing me.

"Oh, (Y/N), it's just you," he breathed, a smiling spreading across his face. I chuckled, taking a comfortable seat next to him, propping my feet up.

"I take that you're not here to cheer Karasuno on?" I teased, nudging him coyly. Oikawa made a face, glaring at the players on the court. He shoved his hands into his pockets and grumbled, eyebrows furrowing with discontent.

"It'd piss me off no matter who wins," he mumbled bitterly, casting his gaze to the side. Laughing, I relaxed in my seat, grateful to have someone as amusing as Oikawa with me. We continued to watch the game, making the occasional pieces of commentary when needed, and with me cheering when either side made a good jab at their opponent's score. People looked at me like I was insane, openly wearing a Karasuno uniform, but sometimes celebrating when Shiratorizawa got a good point.

"You can do it!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, "Kar-a-su-no fight!" The phrase was repeated as long as I could muster. By the time my throat was semi-worn out, the first two games were completed, and Shiratorizawa had won both of them.

Somewhere in that time frame, Iwaizumi had shown up and started to bicker with Oikawa about both of their sudden appearances. Now, the ravenette had taken a seat next to me, his stare fixed pin-pointedly on the game. When Karasuno got a point, they turned to the crowd behind them with happy expressions, and I frowned. 

I should be there. I mean, it's _my_ school, after all. Thinking about it for a moment, I considered staying here with Oikawa and Iwaizumi, but realized that it wasn't as important -- I could hang out with them any time. Right now, the Karasuno team needs all the cheering they can get.

Getting up, I smoothed down my uniform and adjusted my shirt. 

"Well, enjoy the game as we beat Shiratorizawa," I chuckled, starting to leave, "I gotta go support my school from the epicenter." I winked at the two boys as they bid me farewell and quickly ran back to the Karasuno cheering team. 

When I arrived back, Saeko noticed me and her face blossomed into a boisterous grin. She slapped my back, laughing loudly. I winced at the impact, but met her gaze with soft eyes.

"Where've you been?" she asked jokingly, "The team missed you!" I smiled at her welcoming personality and felt at ease. It was nice knowing that even though I'd been gone for most of the match, people were still happy to see me. As if on cue, Karasuno scored a point and the students behind me exploded into whoops. The boys looked behind them and saw me excitedly waving my hands and calling out to them.

"Karasuno! Fight!" Their faces lit up, fist pumping in the air to the beat of the crowd, thrumming through the air. My limbs felt light, despite not being on the court, and spikes of adrenaline kept coursing through my veins. It seemed like my heart was fluttering at the sight of everyone being so motivated.

We were a unit, a team that supported one another, despite what losses we endured. We kept going, and we celebrated even the smallest of victories. Everyone had a purpose, everyone had a part. 

Maybe this was the spirit of volleyball.


	13. His Phone Number

Everyone seemed to hold their breath as the game continued, both Shiratorizawa and Karasuno making points left and right. I couldn't bring myself to look at the scoreboard, as I was too focused on the match. Being able to see the volleyball team go beyond their limits was a chance I knew I probably didn't get to see very often, even before I lost my memory. 

Their bodies were drenched in sweat and exhaustion lined every feature of their face -- yet they seemed so serene, so into the sport. Even I could tell every muscle in their body was screaming at them to relax, to be lazy. Yet they never relented. At every chance they got, they screamed for the ball, they dove for it, _anything_ to keep it alive.

The third set was ours. Then the fourth. Everyone on that court was exhausted. The scoreboard flashed with another point to us. My teeth tugged at my bottom lip, mind uttering silent pleas to anyone who could ensure us the victory. 

_Karasuno might go to Nationals, please let it happen._

Yet I knew no entity or God would save us -- it laid in the hands of our players. Their skill, their drive to succeed was all that could help them today. I tugged on my collar at the thought of the crushing defeat, but shook my head, brushing away the thought. Karasuno would struggle, but we would survive. 

We wouldn't be beaten so easily by the eagles.

My breath hitched in my throat as the sound of the ball rang through the arena, eyes darting to the scoreboard.

Matchpoint. 

I felt like no one dared to cheer, but right now is when our boys needed it most. To feel the power and energy of the crowd surge through you, the pride that these people hold in your regard is the best motivation. So I clutched the railing, almost keeling forwards and yelled for them to do their best.

My throat hurt. My heart hurt. It hurt not remembering past matches, what I did to support them before. But right now, the only thing I could offer was my praise. My eyes screwed shut at the effort it took to scream, but all I wanted for them was happiness. I wanted them to feel what it was like to win.

"Fly!" 

It all happened so quickly. Daichi dove, Asahi spiked, Tanaka saved it. Everyone's eyes were on Kageyama, but the distant squeaking of feet interrupted the silence. A quick attack was approaching, and everyone ran for the ball, eyes glinting, hungry for the feel of the smooth leather on their hands.

Hinata slowed, matching the pace of his teammates and everyone's feet lifted up at the same time. Shiratorizawa panicked and blocked blindly, not knowing where the ball was going to be set to. The moment Tobio's fingers touched the volleyball, everyone knew it was over.

The volleyball sailed towards Hinata, and in that moment, it felt like the world went dark. Everything was dark, except two spotlights put on the duo. Black and orange streaks marked the atmosphere, the sight making my cheeks flush. Deafening silence echoed through the arena, only to be broken by the sound of the ball bouncing off Reon's arms, spinning wildly, then falling to the ground with a thud.

I blinked once, twice, and the lights came back on again. Everyone was visibly surprised, an eerie quiet taking over the audience before the loudest roar exploded behind me, my broken vocals following the chant. The Karasuno team hugged each other and celebrated the win with tears streaming down their faces. We, the crowd in the stands screamed with them, Yachi enveloping me into a big hug with sparkling eyes. I hugged her back and we jumped excitedly, proud to have been a part of this achievement.

_They did it._

The cries of victory never ceased, even when the players lined up to bow and receive their awards. I heard soft squeals from the students and a small whimper from Saeko as she looked on at her brother. Slinging an arm around her, I gave the blonde a side-hug for comfort. Everyone clapped as Karasuno reaped the awards they'd fought so hard for, even some of the Shiratorizawa students.

It was surreal. A once-in-a-lifetime experience that I'd witnessed so pleasantly introduced me back into volleyball. Above all, I could spend time with my friends and honor their successes. I clasped my hands together and gazed fondly at the small figures on the court. 

A new memory for me to enjoy.

__

There was still a bit of time before we had to leave to go and get dinner, about twenty minutes, and I'd originally planned on seeking out Oikawa and Iwaizumi again, but they'd left long ago. My new plan was to try and find Ushijima, and see how well he was faring. The last time I saw him, he didn't seem at all pissed about losing. Maybe a bit frustrated, but that was the most of it. 

Walking down the hallway was oddly reminiscent of the time we'd met before the match started, and I imagined they would be somewhat near that spot. To my luck, their team was just down the hallway, getting ready to leave. I spotted Ushijima in the crowd and rushed to him, not even thinking about how my sudden entrance was a bit odd, as I was wearing a Karasuno uniform. 

"Ushijima!" I called, getting the ace's attention. He walked up to me, leaving his bag on the ground, eyes bearing into mine. I squirmed under the intense stare, but managed to get out a couple of words.

"I was wondering if you'd like to hang out sometime," I said boldly, eyebrows furrowing in determination, "When you have time to, at least. If anyone else is interested in coming, they can too." He paused for a moment, considering my offer as the edges of his lips curled upwards for a second before disappearing. His posture seemed to relax around me, a small quirk I found to be quite endearing. Finally, he nodded, taking on my proposition.

"Sure. I'll be sure to tell the rest of the guys," he replied curtly, "You better get back to the Karasuno team before they get too worried." About to respond, I was cut off by the Shiratorizawa coach yelling at them to get a move on. Sighing, the olive-haired male tensed back up again, preparing for his depature.

"I guess that's my cue." Wakatoshi turned around and ran back, picking up his bags from the ground in one swift motion. I waved goodbye and got one last long look at him before he turned to corner, his fleeting figure fading from my vision. As I turned back around, a thought struck me.

_I don't have his phone number._

Fumbling for my phone, I quickly opened up Tendou's contact and messaged him, trying to snuff out Ushijima's number again. I seriously wondered why I didn't have it in the first place.

_**tedouuuu** _

_yee wassup_

_**what's ushijima's phone number** _

It took a bit for him to respond, as I presumed he was trying to find it in his contacts list. The typing bubble popped in and out of my screen as I waited for Tendou to respond to my simple request.

_ohhh sorry (y/n) i forgot that wakatoshi doesn't have a number for now because his SIM card got taken away for repair_

_**oh okay, but you can still give me his number, right? like is his number still the same? :0** _

_sorry i gtg boarding the bus_

Looking confusedly at my phone screen, I felt a little weird seeing Tendou like this. It wasn't like I wanted to _date_ him or anything, I wanted Ushijima's number so we could keep in touch. Frowning, I pocketed my device and kept walking until I reached the home base, where the gaggle of boys were all huddled together, changing into something more comfortable. I doubted any of the guys on the Karasuno team had Ushiwaka's phone number, so I remained quiet, silently thinking to myself.

I was sure Ushijima had a phone number, but why was Tendou so reluctant on giving me it? Maybe I had to ask Ushijima myself? Pressing my lips into a thin line, I wrung my fingers in distress, wondering what could be the reason behind this situation.

I kept thinking even as we boarded Karasuno's transport vehicle and went to dinner at a local restaurant. While some were eating tiredly, I didn't touch my bowl of rice, deeply troubled. Maybe I was making this out to be something big when it really wasn't.

I trusted that Tendou wouldn't lie to me, and maybe he really was busy. My train of thought came to a stop as Nishinoya nudged my arm with his elbow. I turned to him, glancing at the bags under his eyes and the dullness in his irises.

"If you have energy, at least eat for those who can't," he whispered hoarsely, chin miserably resting on the table's surface. Tanaka groaned in agreement on my other side, his cheek flattened on the wood. I gave a gentle chuckle and picked up my chopsticks, carefully placing a bite of rice into my mouth.

"Don't worry, I will." I patted both of my friends' heads and ate in silence, trying to enjoy the company. Ignoring the previous thoughts of Ushijima, I wanted to be thankful for the moment with the team.

But hopefully I could find out the mystery behind Wakatoshi's elusive number soon, and why nobody seemed to want to give it to me. 


	14. Explanations

_u up?_

My phone 'pinged' as a text from Hinata rang out, and I groggily woke up to see what he typed. Frowning at the early wake-up call, I started to form a response, thumbs slowly tapping the screen of my phone. 

_**now i am -_-** _

_aaaa sorry_

_**it's ok, what's up?** _

_i saw you talking with tendou_

_**ya** _

_uhhhh what were u guys talking about (o3o)_

_**we're hanging out over the weekend with wakatoshi** _

_omg ushiwaka_

_**yea** _

_for what_

_**to catch up on stuff** _

_why lol you two literally text each other all the time_

_you and oikawa too lololololol_

_**did you literally forget i lost my memory** _

_OHHHH right that_

_**hinata boke** _

_hEY stop being kageyama >:(_

_**haha, sorry :)** _

_it's ok lol_

Something previously typed caught my eye the moment it disappeared off the screen. Stopping my train of thought, I used an index finger to scroll back up to previous messages, looking at what Hinata had said about Ushijima and me. Wanting to know more about the comment, I quickly typed a response, suddenly more invested in the conversation than ever. My tiredness faded away, replaced by curiosity.

**_wait what did u say about ushiwaka_ **

_you two used to,,,, text each other all the time?_

**_u sure u remember correctly bc now i don't have his number and tendou won't give it to me_ **

_that's weird_

_**mind giving me some backstory bc everyone's acting really weird** _

_ok_

_so before some practices you two would literally go off at each other on your phones i swear_

_you'd be GLUED to your screen until coach ukai told you to "get off that damn device"_

_and you'd be like "one more text!!!!!"_

_**that sounds like me** _

_i know right_

_anyways_

_i remember there was this one practice when we had a practice match you didn't show up_

_the team didn't know what happened and we just assumed you were either busy off texting ushiwaka lolol_

_i didn't believe it but idk it seems kinda probable (- 3 -)_

_**ok ok no need to embarrass me** _

_:)))_

_**jesus christ hinata** _

_hehe_

_**i gotta get ready now, see u in a bit** _

_see u :^)_

Groaning as I stretched and got off my bed reluctantly, I prepared for the school day. Going through my closet, I brought out a fresh stack of clothing. Noticing that I hadn't folded them as neatly as I would have expected, I put my uniform on and flattened it out so the wrinkles weren't that noticeable. Maybe no one would notice. I looked in the mirror once, smiled in satisfaction and hopped out of my room. Going downstairs to eat breakfast, my feet quickly stepped down the stairs until I reached the ground with a thump. 

I received a text from Tendou when putting together my morning meal as I saw his icon popping up on my screen. My thumb immediately swiped to open the message, eyes eagerly scanning it. 

_wakatoshi told me you wanted to hang out :) ?_

This situation seemed hopeful.

_**yeah, i told him to tell you guys, see if anyone wanted to catch up. we haven't really had the time to hang out :0** _

_that sounds good :) we'll be free over the weekend, and some of the others might come along too, if you're lucky_

_but i'll make sure to pressure ushiwaka to actually do his homework so we all can arrange a time to meet hehe_

_**thank you tendou ^_^** _

_np ;:)_

I frowned a bit, noticing he was still avoiding the whole "phone number" debacle, but decided to leave it at that when I heard a knock on my door, a sign indicating that Hinata was here. Rushing to grab my bag, I opened the door and found the orange haired boy staring at me with a big grin on his face.

"Good morning!" he chirped, happily waiting for me on his bike, "Ready to go?" I nodded, unlocking my bike from its post, locked the door, and boarded the two-wheeler. We rode and talked about our classes, and how excited the team was for Nationals.

"You guys did amazing against Shiratorizawa. I wish I could've been on the court with you all to cheer you on from down below." Hinata laughed, the melody ringing out in the empty space, echoing all around us. A puff of condensed air blew out of his mouth as he breathed, fogging up the atmosphere.

"You were there to cheer us on. That's what mattered." He paused for a moment, as if to consider something. I pressed my lips together firmly, expecting a question about my absence during the starting rounds. Sucking in a breath, I braced for him to mention it.

"By the way, where were you during the first two games?" Quick to respond, I didn't think much before replying.

"I was with Iwaizumi and Oikawa, cheering for you guys." Hinata nearly spat his tongue out, wheeling his head around the face me with wide eyes. Not expecting the sudden motion, I flinched, surprised. I nearly went off-course because of the shock, but quickly recovered, steadying my bike. Looking at the energetic first-year warily, I wished to believe that his follow-up would be something more mundane, especially in the early hours of the morning, but it was usually the opposite.

"The Grand King was there?" he shouted, freaking out. I motioned for him to turn forwards again, worrying that he might get hurt -- not keeping his eyes in front of him. Reluctantly obliging, Hinata huffed and kept his gaze on the road, but didn't stop talking about Oikawa.

"If the Grand King was at _our_ game, he must've been cheering one of us on, right?" the orange-haired boy sputtered, confusedly breaking down the details bit-by-bit. I hummed, trying to think of what the brunette had said about the game between the eagles and crows.

"Well, he said he'd be pissed off no matter who won," I sighed, replaying the scene in my head, "Though I do think he was cheering for Karasuno, even though he won't admit it." Hinata went quiet for a moment, then nodded slowly, flexing his hands to clench and un-clench around his bicycle's handlebars. His expression remained content, thoughtful eyes gazing at the path ahead of us, lips slightly pursed.

The rest of the ride was biked in silence.

__

Nine hours later, school, as well as practice, had both ended and it was time for us to head home. The day had gone by so quickly, I could hardly believe it was dark out. When I lifted my head, all I could see were the glowing stars twinkling above. Reminded of a melancholy feeling, the edges of my lips curled upwards, half-lidded eyes staring at the pinpoints of light. 

Hinata, Tanaka, and Nishinoya walked by me, trudging along with our bikes in tow. Our footsteps made crunching sounds along the bumpy road, feet occasionally kicking up pebbles and rocks, flinging them onto the curb. As usual, the moths were flying around the lamps, flitting against the hot bulbs every so often. 

I heaved a great sigh, enjoying the chirping of the cicadas that echoed through the night. We made idle chit-chat, talking about how lucky Tsukishima and Kageyama were to have been selected for training camps on their own. Hinata was especially sour about it, even when we stopped by the store to get a few novelty items. I entertained the idea of him sneaking in, hoping it would lighten the mood a bit. The two second-years laughed at the thought, blowing it off like I did, but the orange-haired first year had an unusual glint in his eye.

Not thinking much of it, I didn't pay attention to the first-year as I conversed with my fellow sophmore friends -- a bad decision on my part, as I didn't notice _what_ items Hinata was grabbing. It could've been a big clue towards future events, as not everyone who was planning on staying home would buy a _travel toothbrush_. 

After we bid Coach Ukai goodbye, exiting his shop, Hinata and I split up from Tanaka and Nishinoya, heading back home. On the way to our houses, we talked a bit more about the Japanese Youth Camp.

"So it's like this training camp for the best of the best?" I asked, completely in the dark about the whole matter. Hinata vigorously nodded, his eyes big and bright. His irises were pooled with a mixture of envy and determination, practically lit ablaze with emotion.

"I'm going to beat Kageyama, no matter what he does at his camp!" he growled, speeding ahead suddenly. I chuckled at his enthusiasm and tried to catch up with him, trailing along behind the energetic carrot-top. 

"That sounds like a declaration of war, Hinata," I replied curiously, a slight lilt to my voice, "You in a competition with him?" He didn't say anything in response to me, but deep inside I knew that he agreed completely. Huffing a breath, I kept cycling my legs so that they burned, a familiar sensation that I didn't know existed.

Growing increasingly rowdy, I felt as if Hinata was rubbing off on me just the tiniest bit. His level of energy was contagious, and I couldn't help but try to match that myself. I appreciated the feel of the wind tousling my hair and the freedom the night seemed to give me -- factors only contributing to the rising amounts of spirit trapped inside of my chest.

My cheeks flushed and I could feel an internal heat spreading to my fingertips and limbs, battling the cold that lingered in the air and mixed in the wind.

Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I charged forwards, an unexpected burst of speed bringing me ahead of Hinata. Hearing him gasp in surprise made my insides churn and a bit of fear take over. Nonetheless, it didn't stop me from going faster, my feet pumping as quickly as they could on my bike.

We got home a lot sooner than usual that day.


	15. Meeting Up

It had been a few days after the announcement that Kageyama and Tsukishima were going to head off to their respective camps. The weekend had also rolled around, and it also happened to be the day I was going to meet up with Ushijima and Tendou. 

The day started off with Oikawa spamming the groupchat, as I woke up to a bunch of buzzes and rings coming from my device. Groggily waking up, I felt around for my phone and squinted when the bright screen unexpectedly flashed with multiple notifications. The light radiating from the device made my pupils shrink and my eyebrows furrow, a displeased expression coming onto my face. 

**_what are you doing_ **

_iwa-chan's being mean to me DD':_

I checked the chat history out of curiosity and found myself sweating at the chain of texts that were "playfully vulgar," if that even was a thing. Insults flooded the chat's history as the two friend went at it for what seemed like ages. A chuckle managed to surface from the depths of my voice box as I typed in a response.

**_iwa-chan really likes roasting the hell out of you, huh_ **

_:'(((( so mean_

**he called me ten times at seven am because he couldn't sleep anymore**

**_yikes_ **

_**c'mon you should know better** _

_i thought he was up already :(_

**i was**

**i was just ghosting you**

**_ah_ **

_sEe_

_so mean >:'(_

_**well you guys woke me up too so ig we're all here now** _

_don't u usually have your phone on vibrate tho_

_**yeah but i set up a ringtone** _

_**for an alarm** _

_oooo~_

_for what (╹ڡ╹ )✧_

_**a hot date** _

_wHaT_

**_i'm kidding, dummy_ **

_you gave me a heart attack (y/n)_

_but what was it actually for_

_**i think you'd have that heart attack if i told you** _

_it can't be worse than a hot date_

**_well_ **

**_i'm hanging out with tendou and ushijima this afternoon_ **

_WHA_

_that IS w o r s e_

_WHY ARE YOU HANGING OUT WITH THAT BRICKHEAD_

_when you can be with iwa-chan and me (✿◡‿◡)_

_UGH THAT USHIWAKA BASTARD_

**you think too highly of yourself**

_you're so mean iwa-chan :'((((((((((_

_**guys guys i promise i'll hang out soon!** _

_**i just wanted to get to know him better** _

_**and clear up complications and stuff** _

_what complications_

_if he did something bad to you i'll KICK HIS ASS_

**stop making (y/n)'s problems your own dumbass**

_OOH IF HE WAS MEAN TO YOU HE BETTER GET READY TO MEET MY F I S T_

_that bastard ushiwaka >:00000_

_**i appreciate it, but no dishing out knuckle sandwiches today** _

**but if you need support we'll be here to help**

**_thank you_ **

_he better not try anything tricky when you guys meet_

_**don't worry oikawa** _

_**i'll make sure he won't** _

_ok_

_i trust u ( -3-) kick his ass if he tries anything funny_

_**^_^ "** _

Setting down my phone, I made an effort to actually get up and prepare for the busy day ahead of me. While brushing my teeth, I tottered back onto my bed and retrieved my device, unlocking it and messaging Tendou about where we were going to meet up.

**_where are we gonna meet?_ **

He responded immediately, sending me a location not far from my place.

**_oooh a cafe? that sounds nice :D_ **

**_i didn't know you were into those_ **

_you were actually into them and always dragged us there lolol_

_wakatoshi thought it'd be nice if we revisited there for old time's sake_

_**omg** _ _**i feel so special** _

_lol it surprised me too_

_anyways_

_are you ready yet?_

_**yeah i'll be out of the house in a moment** _

_then we'll see you there ^_^_

_**yup! :)** _

Hurrying to finish dressing myself, I took a look in the mirror and smiled, quite liking the getup I had on. There was at least living proof that I had a good sense of fashion before the whole "amnesia" situation. Trying to not think of it too much, as I didn't want it to faze me, I grabbed a jacket, pocketed my phone, and headed downstairs to put on my shoes.

I hobbled towards the door once I finished tying the laces of my sneakers and locked it behind me as I stepped outside. It was a good day to be hanging out with friends -- not too sunny, not too cloudy, but a bit cold. Taking a whiff of the fresh air, I started up my GPS and followed the route for ten or so minutes.

The path to the cafe had a lot of turns, surprisingly enough. It took me through a small park, the meandering sidewalk disappearing behind a grove of apple trees, quite a pretty sight to see as all the blooms were completely visible during this time of the year. It was a shame that the concrete was laden with cracks, however, which made my viewing experience slightly more unpleasant.

 _Someone could trip on this_ , I thought disapprovingly, trying to make sure that I didn't fall.

Nimbly avoiding the roadblocks, I managed to come close enough to the cafe that I could see two familiar outlines waiting at the front. Calling for my friends, I waved my arms around so that they would see me.

"Ushijima! Tendou!" They turned their heads toward my general direction, perking up at the sound of their names. The redhead immediately waved back, a casual swoop of the arm as a greeting. I quickly ran up, body overflowing with excitement-induced energy. Waves of dopamine crashed over my mind as I got a closer look at the two.

"Yoohoo," he replied, sauntering up to me, "What's up?" I took a second to assess their outfits, as I hadn't seen them out of their volleyball uniforms until now.

Tendou was just dressed in a simple gray patterned hoodie with semi-tight fitting beige colored jeans. He wore a black NASA bomber jacket on top of the hoodie underneath, only half-zipped up due to the weather. For shoes he chose simple white sneakers, just slightly dirty because of their lack of exposure to the outside.

Ushijima's outfit was a bit more simple-- something I expected from a guy like him. Black Timberland boots fit around his feet and black jeans hugged his legs nicely. A dark gray highneck zip-up Nike jacket was wrapped around his torso, but I couldn't tell what was underneath. I presumed it was a short-sleeved shirt, since the mid-forearm cut of his jacket didn't reveal any cloth lying underneath it. There was a plain black cap on his head and a metallic watch was strapped around his wrist to give the outfit a tiny bit more flare. Hopefully his undershirt was something that stood out more, as I just noticed he wore just straight black today, with the exception of the accessory. 

After staring for a bit, I realized something a little bit out of the ordinary.

 _They all have name brand clothing. Damn private school kids_ , I thought envyingly, sobbing inside, _One day you'll be like them, (Y/N). One day._

Changing the subject, I tried to distract myself by saying a small quip to the two, as the atmosphere had gotten slightly weird now that I realized I'd been glaring for a little too long.

"You guys look really nice today," I chirped, glancing down at the clothes I'd worn, "I feel under-dressed, somehow." Giving an awkward laugh, I looked back up at the boys, but just found them glancing back at me, looking over what _I_ was wearing. Screaming internally, I begged every saint in heaven for the situation to not turn into a horrid mess. Oh, how the tables turn.

"I think it looks good," Tendou commented, pointedly fixing his gaze on me. Wakatoshi nodded, his firm eyes seeming to bear into my skull. I smiled in relief, thanking them before checking the time on my phone. My eyes widened at how late it had gotten.

"Did you guys happen to invite anyone else? Since it's almost lunchtime, I figured we could either keep on waiting or go get a bite to eat." The two guys looked at each other, presumably wondering about whether or not someone agreed to the meeting. Ushijima shook his head after a few seconds of silent conversation and I nodded, getting the memo.

"So, since nobody else is coming, why don't we head in?" I pointed towards the cafe and smiled, eager to go get lunch. Tendou slung an arm around my shoulders and cheered, guiding me through the doors and into the small space. Wakatoshi followed close behind, quietly coming through the entrance and into the cafe. I laughed as the three of us stumbled in, already a boisterous mess. 

The aroma that wafted from the counter was heavenly, a mix of my favorite spices with hints of coffee laced into it. Excited to finally sit down and have lunch with old friends, I nearly jumped into a booth. My fervent mood made Shiratorizawa's blocker chuckle and the ace's expression soften. There were two reasons for my enthusiasm, and one of those was the opportunity to get to know my friends again. 

The other was that I truly hoped that today would give me more insight to what's been going on. Because of my memory loss, I felt a stinging passion to try and become a better companion. If I got more information, I felt like the process would be faster.

Besides, it's not like it hurts anyone to share facts and views about my past self. It's all just fun stuff.


	16. Seeking Answers

The waitress that tended to our table handed out laminated menus for us to choose our dishes from. She pointed out a lunch special and explained that if we ordered a side dish for the table, we could each have a go at the newly installed game machine, to which I ogled at. Its bright, flashing lights made it seem more enticing, and I wanted more than anything to try it.

Once the lady left, I smacked my hands on the table and stared at my friends with a newfound spirit, a great big grin plastered onto my features. Wakatoshi looked back at me amusedly with raised eyebrows while Tendou matched my childlike exuberance.

"We _have_ to try it," I begged, practically blown over by the appeal of the offer, "Please, please, please. It's just a side dish, too." Ushijma looked over his menu expectantly while the redhead gave me a high-five.

"I've been trying to bug Wakatoshi to go for the machine, but he always denies," the blocker sighed with a semi-disappointed expression, "But hopefully this time we can try it." Curling my hands into fists, my body shook in anticipation, jitters running up and down my spine. Just watching Shiratorizawa's ace made me nervous, as there was a good chance of him saying no to our proposal.

"Sure," he murmured, flipping through the various pages, "I don't see why not." After hearing Tendou metaphorically die beside me, his soul practically flying out of his mouth, I cheered, clapping happily at our consensual agreement. Part of me was surprised at how quickly he'd agreed, but that was quickly blown over by relief.

Calling the waitress back over, we ordered our respective dishes, adding the extra side in exchange for three chances at the machine, and waited for the food. I impatiently tapped my feet together underneath the table, wanting desperately to ask them the important questions but not wanting to ruin the good mood that had settled around us.

So I opted for idly chatting about what had happened before I lost my memory -- the happy stuff. When I'd piped up and asked them, Tendou's eyes seemed to glitter with nostalgia, his pupils starting to drift upwards. Ushijima sat still in his seat, but his features seemed to relax just the tiniest bit.

"You were always... the unique one," the redhead mused, drumming his fingers atop the table. I pursed my lips and lightly socked his arm, confused as to what he meant by that. Satori laughed, gently swatting my hand away.

"We all used to run into each other a lot, since we pretty much live next to one another. I guess that's how we bonded, in a way. After a coincidental meeting where you saw Wakatoshi on the cover of a local volleyball magazine, you introduced yourself and asked what our names were, as you were tired of knowing us as the 'cool strangers.'

"You came to one of our games after Karasuno lost the chance to go to Nationals last year, and it was fun to see you on the sidelines. It apparently was 'exciting' for you, since you've never really seen a Shiratorizawa game before. Everyone looked so confused as to who you were, since they knew for sure that you didn't go to our school." He got interrupted by the waitress coming back to our table with the food. We said our thanks and started to tuck in.

"When did we all first meet?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation going. Tendou chewed for a bit, recalling his earliest memory of us three. There was a sense of longing in his gaze, one that was deeply reminiscent. It screamed and begged to be satiated -- to be brought back to simpler times. Finally, he spoke, and all traces of the emotion were wiped out with a single blink.

"That libero kid and you went to the same school together, and we first saw you at one of the junior high games while our seniors were scouting. It was pretty interesting. You were the only one in those stands, shouting as loud as you could for him to 'pick up the damn ball.'"

I took a bite of my food while listening to the narrative.

"How'd you remember that?" I said, voice slightly muffled because my mouth was full. Watching the lanky male grin deviously at me, I raised an eyebrow to counter his smug face. At that moment I could've bet one hundred dollars that he was going to say something that put me off.

"I remember because I remember laughing at you." Feigning shock, I whacked his arm properly that time, quickly swallowing the sustenance inside my mouth to scold the cackling boy. Fuming, I angrily pouted with my eyebrows furrowed. Tendou slung an arm around my shoulders and smirked cockily.

"Maybe Wakatoshi can enlighten you about some stuff." Our glances set on the ace's, who regarded both of us with the same un-moving expression he always wore. Busily chewing on his hayashi rice, his cheeks were puffed up, halfway filled with the foodstuff. I smiled at the sight, patiently waiting for him to finish. Ushijima looked like he had things to tell me, although his demeanor didn't change in the slightest. Maybe I was just imagining things, but it looked to me as if the gloss over his eyes glimmered a bit brighter than before. Finally, after what felt like an hour, he spoke.

"It was weird watching you cheer so enthusiastically for someone. I'm well-accustomed to the cheer culture at games, but something about you just put me on edge. At first, I didn't like you all that much." He paused and I flinched, then tried to cover it up with a wobbly grin, hoping that the story would get better from there. "But as time went on, I started to see a better side of you, one that wasn't as annoying as the student I'd encountered the first time. The team even started to try and pick you out from the crowd during our matches -- Tendou, specifically. 

"It's an unfamiliar feeling, to have someone from another school supporting you, especially when they're the manager of their own school's volleyball team. 'It's because we're friends, right?' you used to say, 'I think we should cheer for each other.' In the beginning I felt like you were undermining us, so I had a particular distaste for you. Maybe my judgement was clouded by the fact that Shiratorizawa was the best team in Miyagi, or maybe I just misunderstood the meaning behind your words.

"But what changed my mind was that whenever you came to our games, you'd wholeheartedly shout your support. Your eyes would light up in joy whenever I spiked and it felt invigorating to see such passion brought about. I talked about it with Tendou and we both wished that you'd come to Shiratorizawa instead of wasting your time at Karasuno. We texted you about it, but you declined, just like Oikawa. You were good friends with him." I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to comprehend what he just said and suddenly remembered that I still needed to ask him about his phone number.

"Oh yeah, this is kinda off topic," I started, meeting Ushijima's gaze, "but what happened with your phone? I want to get your number, but there's a problem with your... SIM card?" The olive-haired male just stared blankly at me, expression unchanging. His lips were tightly shut, making no motion to reply. I heard Tendou take over the conversation when his friend went silent.

"Yeah, he's getting his SIM card changed, since the old one broke," the redhead said, chuckling a bit, "I don't know how, but it slipped out and shattered. The information on it is still safe though, but we're trying to figure out what to do. Wakatoshi's still kinda bitter about it, so don't mind him and his gloomy attitude." Humming in understanding, I felt at ease about the whole situation.

"I'm relieved," I sighed, placing a hand over my heart, "since for a second I thought you guys didn't want to contact me anymore." Tendou sputtered and shook his head frantically, putting both hands up in surrender.

"Of course not! We're still glad to be able to talk to you, there were just some slight mishaps that may have... messed up your perception of things." I nodded and looked at Wakatoshi, who was still brooding over at his side of the table. 

_He must've been really disappointed when it broke._

Reaching over the table, I patted the ace's shoulder and gave a comforting smile. He turned to me, clearly surprised at the sudden movement. 

"Hey man, no need to be so glum. I'm sure you'll figure out something." Ushijima gave me a slight nod as he relaxed again, muscles un-tensing and features loosening. Tendou laughed beside me as I withdrew my arm and retreated to my original sitting position.

"You really have an affect on him, that's for sure," the blocker murmured, finishing the last bite of his food. I wondered what it meant as I scooped up what was left of my lunch with a fork and shoved it into my mouth. Once the waitress came to give us the bill and to pick up our empty dishes, I looked up at both of my friends, digging for their wallets. A weird sensation washed over me, that left me refreshed -- like a mist had just sprayed me gently.

It was like everything was normal again -- no surprises or anything.

That day, I went home with contented mind, and a stuffed toy I'd won from the arcade game.


End file.
